


The Bookstore on The Corner

by softmaknae



Category: Monsta X (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst and Feels, Bookstores, Coffee, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Forgive Me, Humor, Jungkook’s a nerd, Kihyun is important in here, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, he’s an emo nerd though, i tagged people but they aren't in it that much, so is tae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-07-14 06:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16034771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softmaknae/pseuds/softmaknae
Summary: taehyung loved his job, but sometimes he despised it. however, this day was not one of those days. in fact, he was complimented, gifted, and made frustrated by a boy with dark brown hair and a large smile.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so, this isn’t really going to be a story that i update frequently. it’s still in the works; i’m not sure if i’ll even finish this. in fact, i’ll go as far and say that this is more of an experimental trial of how this whole thing works.  
> please don’t hate me if i don’t upsate it often; i’m sorry. i’m in school and college starts next year so i’ll be busy until the summer or one of my breaks. depending on how well this does, I will return to update it some more.  
> also, this is my first attempt at a story on here, so please cut me some slack if something isn’t right. i make typos, and sometimes my english can be off.  
> also; i just write in my spare time. i’ve written maybe a hundred stories but i don’t normally show them off. but i thought this one was decent enough.

“excuse me sir, but what’s  
this story about?”

taehyung was tugged back into reality when a young girl that was about 5 or 6 waved a picture book in his face eagerly. he had been away in another world, daydreaming. she smiled happily when she noticed she had finally got his attention. her giggle sounded throughout the store as she lightly tapped his leg.

“sir?”

tae grinned at the little girl softly, bending down to be able to speak to her politely. “yes?”

“what’s this book about?” her hands tapped on the cover of a thick book, thicker than what he originally thought. his eyes had told him it was a simple picture book they had laying around in the kid’s play area, but this clearly wasn’t one of them.

“can i see it? i forgot my librarian glasses today.” he said to her, getting another precious giggle to erupt from her.

“yes you can, silly. here.”

once the book landed in his hands, he knew exactly what it was.

what in the world was she doing with a harry potter book? 

good thing it’s the first one, otherwise she’d be confused, he thought to himself, observing the book in front of her to make it seem like he was gathering information on it. “ah, i see. i see. i’ve read this one before!”

“was it good, mister?”

“yes it was, it’s one of my favorites. what would you like to know about  
it?” 

“everything!” gosh, out of all the kids he’s worked with, this one’s already pulling at his heart strings.

“well okay. would you follow me to the kids area? i can talk about what it’s about over there. not here, though, older people are boring.” it was true, his normal antics weren’t really something that amused the normal avid reader. the boss of the store told him to only do it in that portion of the store, just to make sure no one is disrupted while they’re reading. he had only agreed because he enjoyed acting the books out for the kids; it helped kids enjoy their time here in a boring atmosphere, and also encouraged them to read.

after getting a slight nod from her parent, he skipped with her to the kids area, where she and a few others curled up next to the storytelling fireplace. (it was fake, of course. what it was was only a video of a woodburning one playing on repeat.)

“gather around one and all to hear the magical story of harry potter!” he cheered out. some more kids came to visit, but only a few wanted to sit near him.

taehyung cleared his throat loudly. “this book is about a boy, just a few years older than you all. he’s just a normal boy, but on his 11th birthday, everything changed.” 

“did he become a girl?” a girl shouted from in front of him, her eyes beaming with curiosity.

taehyung couldn’t help but chuckle. “no, not quite. can anyone else guess what happened to him?”

“he grew up into an old man!” “he moved out!” “he got a dog!” were some of the many replies tae had gotten throughout the few minutes he took to pause.

“he was told that he was a wizard. a huge giant was sent to his home, and there he told him and his family that he was a wizard! does anyone know what a wizard is?”

“it’s a person who can cast spells and do magic things!” one of the older kids spoke, sending some others into a fit of rage because they also knew the answer.

“that’s right! when he was told this, the giant sent him to a magical school, called Hogwarts.” the word Hogwarts sent the kids into their own laughing fits.

tae waited a moment for them to calm down before he continued. “in the school, he learned several different things. he learned about magic plants, magic sports, and made some friends along the way!

“an old wizard ran the school, and took harry in as his own and taught him many things. things about phoenixes, ghosts, and bad guys. he taught him how he would defeat the baddest person of them all. but i cannot say his name.”

the girl who asked tae to explain the story in the first place raised her hand. “why not?”

“well, it is forbidden! the wizarding world is not allowed to say, you would just have to figure out on your own.” he explained, resting the book on his lap, thinking he was finished with selling it with the kids.

“magic isn’t real!” a kid screamed out, making the other kids gasp.

“yes it is! how do you explain santa and the tooth fairy?” the girl responded, sounding kind of defensive over the childhood myths.

“they’re not real.”

“magic is indeed real,” taehyung interupts, digging a match out of his pocket. (why did he have a match in there? no one knows.) “i can prove it.”

the kids that were interested scooted in closer, and began to beg to see it. they all were so excited to witness it; taehyung couldn’t help but to do a trick in front of them.

“i need to get one thing before i can show it to you. okay? once i do show it to you, you cannot tell anyone that i’m a wizard.”

“we won’t!” they said in unison.

tae got up quickly and jogged to his desk, checking quickly if there were any customers that needed service. they weren’t getting many customers anymore, which was kind of concerning, but regardless, taehyung was happy to be working here.

he grabbed a piece of tape, and taped his match to the back of his thumb.

returning to his group, he sat down on his storytelling plastic log, and started to tell his story. 

“i read about harry potter, and i didn’t believe in magic. but then, i tried it for myself.” he grasped the match, fist closed, showing all the kids it carefully.

“see this match?” he wiggled it in his hand, making sure that all the spectators saw what was going on.

the kids nodded.

in a split second, taehyung closed his eyes, and sprang his hands open, revealing the trick that the match is “gone”.

the kids started yelling, asking the brown haired man various questions about how he performed it.

“be very quiet! it is around here somewhere, i just have to find it. but i need to listen for it so it doesn’t hit any of you on the way back.” 

he pretends to concentrate again, moving his hands in a swinging motion, trying to “sense” where the match had gone. 

“and...” he waved his other hand over his now fist, and the match had reappeared in his hand.

all the kids seemed bewildered by his amateur magic trick. it wasn’t very great, but it seemed to help the kids believe that he was actually a wizard.

“how did you do that?” one smaller boy cried.

“it is a secret, my friend. but please do not tell anyone else that i’m a wizard. this is to remain secret, okay?” taehyung glanced at the parents, who were observing from afar, and they were smiling towards him.

i guess that did the trick. he told himself, snorting afterward at his little pun.

when he dismissed the young boys and girls from storytime, he returned to his desk, and ripped off the match from his thumb. where did he learn that again? memories were faulty in his mind nowadays, but he was glad he could use the skill again in his life.

many kids came up to taehyung and had their parents buy them copies of the first book. he counted 12. that was his new record by far.

an hour later, he was fixing himself up to leave. his shift ended hours ago, but his replacement didn’t show for work, so he just decided to stay in his place.

then, a stranger popped up at the register, holding a broad selection of books. “can i have a hand, here?”

taehyung dropped his phone on his desk, frightened at the sudden appearance of the man. “o-oh! yes, of course!” he sped around his register and grabbed a few books out of his arms. the majority of them were still in the brunette’s hands, but tae placed the rest on the counter in front of him.

the guy shook his head. “that wasn’t very smart of me, gathering up 15 books at once.”

“you just have to be careful. you could’ve asked me to carry some for you while you were browsing, i would’ve been happy to do so.” taehyung stated, now trying to read the titles of the books.

not many of them were foreign to taehyung’s eyes; the harry potter, percy jackson, and some of the heroes of olympus series’ were piled up on the counter.

brunette boy laughed quietly, mumbling something to himself before setting the rest of the books on the table. “i found myself grabbing books off shelves like a madman after your little performance with those kids.”

taehyung was shocked to hear that. the only people who listened to those were the kids and the parents. never was there a third audience watching, not until today. his throat suddenly felt dry. he stared at his hands below him. “oh, you watched that?”

the guy nodded. “yeah, i thought it was super cute. all the kids were so into it, you performed flawlessly.”

that sent taehyung into nervous laughter mode. no matter what he did at the bookstore, it still didn’t mean he was great with people. kids were easy to act in front of, because they’re kids. they won’t judge you or anything if they’re having fun.

“i try to get kids reading again. if no one does it, technology is going to take over.” taehyung said. he scratched the back of his neck, almost wanting this conversation to stop soon. antics were just antics, nobody but families really appreciated it. co-workers teased taehyung for doing it, and constantly talked behind his back about him.

“that’s definitely true. i wouldn’t want to lose books, either. they’re my getaway after a hard day.” brunette admitted, sighing. “anyway, i wanted to ask you something...” he squinted at taehyung’s chest, which sent chills down his spine. for some reason he felt a bit uncomfortable, but all the guy was doing was reading his nametag. “...taehyung.”

“yes sir?”

he smacked the mountain of books before tae. “which series do you recommend?”

the part-time actor snorted. “isn’t it obvious? didn’t you say you watched me perform something about harry potter?”

the stranger chuckled. “you’re right, i wasn’t thinking about it.” he gazed down at his selection again, and then slapped his credit card down beside it. “i’ll take all of them.”

taehyung’s jaw dropped. this would mark the most books sold since christmas; that was seven months ago. like he had said, the bookstore wasn’t selling as much as it used to, but this would definitely make his boss happy. “can i get your name? i need to write it down for a hall of fame: books edition or something.”

he seemed to question tae’s word choice briefly, but then he shared a small smile with the cashier. “sure. it’s jungkook.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this story will get somewhere, but someone please try to motivate me to write more D:  
> This one's a little short but there's a new character stumbling in. Don't hate me for the length, I'm sorry!
> 
> Song of the day: Upside Down by BIGFLO <3

he rung up jungkook at the register, and then headed home.

something was compelling about that boy. maybe it was that his eyes, jungkook’s doe eyes, that intrigued him. or it could’ve been his handsome smile. somewhere deep in taehyung’s mind was a part shaming him for not asking more questions, but he was a customer. he doesn’t want to pry into things.

besides, taehyung isn’t a good talker; he never was one. from the day that he was born, he was timid and awkward. grandmother kim never truly forced him to tackle those challenged head on; he guesses that was one fault about being raised by her. until this day, he had never knew how to really communicate in a way that people would seem interested. only at times did he ever speak at work, besides the ‘performances’ and answering questions.

books seemed to be his only outlet to find words to speak. they were his only guidance when he was younger, providing solid answers to questions he may have had. the characters born in the book were who he would consder friends; they spoke their minds, went on adventures, shared memories with one another. what else would he have needed?

taehyung’s phone rang, knocking him out of his thoughts. he was walking home still, his work was about 30 minutes or so away. it was only on good weather days that he would do such a thing.

he inspected the glowing screen, only to smile when he read the contact name.

“jiminie!” taehyung sang. jimin was a friend of his since college, they roomed together. once they graduated though, they grew apart and didn’t get to hang out as often as they would like.

“hey tae.” jimin replied with a more serious tone. the younger was always cheerful when they spoke, but something already seemed odd about his friend.

taehyung frowned as he circled around a table set up outside a tiny italian restaurant. “what’s wrong?”

“who said anything was wrong?”

“i can tell when something’s up. i was stuck hanging out with you for four years without a break.” tae reminded him.

jimin huffed loudly in response to that. “i’m sick!”

“sick? sick with what?” taehyung could just imagine how upset jimin was, pouting while sitting slumped on the couch. he hated not being able to do much. his friend liked being busy and going out, but being sick didn’t allow him to do that.

“i don’t know, but it’s bad.” jimin sniffled. the older could hear jimin clasp his hand over the phone speaker before he had a coughing fit. “i feel so gross.”

taehyung bit his lip, staring at the sidewalk below him as his pace grew slightly faster. “well, where are you? I could warm up some soup for you and bring it to you.”

“i’m at home, actually.” jimin struggled squeezing out the last word before erupting into another round of loud coughs.

“really? since when?” his roommate was never home— it was almost like he avoided him. but he knew it wasn’t like that. jimin’s always been one to keep himself occupied.

“uh, a few hours ago. i had hobi drive me home after practice.” his raspy tired voice leaked out of the phone like velvet. whenever he heard this voice, he automatically wanted to cuddle. whatever the reason, he was now very frustrated with himself.

“i’m almost home, alright? shouldn’t be much longer— maybe,” taehyung glanced at the time on his phone. 5:23. “7 minutes? i’m walking.”

he was answered with a squeaky yawn, followed by a deep breath. “i can’t promise you i’ll be awake when you get here. but i’ll try to stay up so we can talk okay?”

“sounds good. see you in a few jimin.”

“i love you tae!” he sang, before hanging up on his newly appointed caretaker.

taehyung can’t remember the last time his best friend was sick. sure, he’s come home extremely exhausted, but that doesn’t count. whenever it happens though, tae drops everything for him.

drops of rain began to bombard the boy who was lost in his own maze of a head again. now desperate to get home, he started to run down the apartment alley, sprinting to his front door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updating at 12am because i’ve lowkey been working on this chapter for a month and have gotten nowhere
> 
> i know this isn’t a great chapter, really, and i know there’s some flaws and some repetitiveness- but ive rewritten this so many times i just need to post something i’m somewhat happy with.
> 
> talking too much, sorry! thanks for all the kudos you guys have left me, it means so much to me, more than you’ll know ^^
> 
> song of the day- critical beauty by Pentagon

taehyung stirred around the soup tentatively in the pot, turning to check on jimin every few minutes.

 _any second now,_ tae told himself. all he was doing was warming up soup from a can; he didn’t have much time to do much else.

the tv was humming slightly, just enough to cover up the other boy’s soft snoring. no matter how tidy his roommate was, he was always a mess. his limbs were strewn all over the couch, and the blanket was thrown over his torso only. just by glancing at jimin, he could tell he hadn’t slept well the past few days. also he could see he’d have a major bedhead when he woke up.

while the soup was slowly warming up, tae changed into a comfortable t-shirt and some of jimin’s old jogger pants that he never used anymore.

something was bothering him. jimin hadn’t been around for a solid year. what had him decide to come back? besides being sick of course. as far as tae knew, he was living out a dream with his dance friends.

of course they were only stuck with each other for the span of college, but it worried him. these thoughts began eating away at him more and more every time he looked at the black-haired boy that night.

by the time he returned to his soup, the dancer was already up and in the kitchen, turning off the stove.

“smells delicious!” jimin cheered, lifting the lid to see the drab colored broth underneath. by the way his friend frowned, he looked unsatisfied.

“it’s canned chicken noodle soup. what do you expect from me? home made soup?” tae stifled a laugh when he received a disappointed nod from jimin. “y’know i’m capable of burning water. and that’s not even possible.”

rolling his eyes, jiminie stood on his tippy toes to try to reach the plastic bowls from the top shelf. “yeah i always seem to forget that you don’t have any cooking skills.” the tower of plastic bowls toppled over as soon as jimin laid a finger on them, and he cursed under his breath. a small smile sprouted on the ill boy’s face, glistening like the brightest stars in the sky. “that may be because i want to forget that one time you made kimchi fried rice.”

taehyung pouted, making sure to make it an extremely exaggerated look that he was ‘upset’. “was it really that bad?”

jimin stared at his brunette friend, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “it tasted like a shoe. and the rice was under cooked. we’re korean— how do you manage to do that?!”

taehyung smacked his roommate’s arm in annoyance. “i told you i never learned. but you had faith i’d be some sort of gordon ramsey or some shit—“

“language, sir.”

“oh i’m sorry, hyung.”

this time tae received a solid slap on the back of the head. “ow!” he whined, rubbing his head.

“is this all for me?” the older asked, opening the fridge.

it took taehyung a moment to realize he was talking about the soup. “oh yeah, eat all the soup you want. i’m not hungry.”

there was a moment of awkward silence between the two boys. jimin was flipping through channels on the tv with his back facing his roommate. yep, there was no doubt in tae’s mind; something was up with him.

“i’m sorry i surprised you. that’s my bad. i just wasn’t sure i’d be back so soon. hobi insisted—“

“hobi?”

“hobi. hoseok. my dancing coach. he forced me to come home. i didn’t think he’d do it.” he admitted. “i didn’t want to bother you.”

“first of all, hobi sounds like a good friend. second-“

“if you consider someone carrying me to the car and driving me here against my own will ‘friendly’ then sure.”

tae glared at his roommate, clearly annoyed after he was interrupted so abruptly.

the smaller boy signaled tae that he could continue. after a few more moments of intense staring, he started again. “second, you aren’t a bother. sure, you’re a pain in the ass-“

“hey!”

“-but you’re family to me and as far as i’m concerned you’ve never been a bother for as long as i’ve known you.”

that silenced the normally witty jimin, sending him into a shy, stuttering mess. “i- i just-“

“eh, eh,” tae shushed him. “you’re like my brother. i’d never kick you to the curb or anything. plus, we both pay rent here. it’s yours, too.”

“i know, but-“ jimin coughed again, more violently this time.

“shhh, shut up will ya? here, let’s take you to the couch. no more arguing or anything.” gently, taehyung grasped jimin by his shoulders, and slowly directed him back to the couch, where he immediately slipped underneath the blanket.

the younger made his way back into the kitchen, ladling some soup into the bowl jimin had taken out. the steamy aroma of the soup made tae’s mouth water, but he ignored his stomach.

slowly, he marched back to his ‘brother’, who was still as he left him, but now he was watching a show on tv.

“do you ever watch this?”

tae glanced at the tv as he set the bowl on the coffee table. jimin shot up from laying down, and snatched the spoon from tae’s hand, along with the soup.

the show looked familiar to him, but he doesn’t remember watching it. “i can’t say i have.” he admitted, grabbing the unused pillow beside jimin and placing it on the floor. he slid onto the floor, suddenly exhausted, his head hitting the couch behind him.

“you don’t?” the older seemed surprised. he took a moment to slurp up more of the soup before he placed it back onto the table across from himself. “well, sit next to me here, we’ll watch it together.”

“jimin, i can’t get sick. i have work.” taehyung said, more sternly than he wanted to.

“taehyung you won’t get sick. i promise. just sit here for a little bit. please?” his counterpart whined.

“minnie-“

“tae, please?”

the exhausted man grumbled as he gave into jimin’s request. “if you get me sick, i will end you.” he muttered to himself as he stood.

jimin cheered and opened his arms to tae, as if he were a baby who wanted to be picked up. taehyung rolled his eyes, but sunk down into the couch next to him, letting his hyung hug him.

“you’re a five year old.” taehyung mumbled, but he was grinning. no matter how mad he could be at him in his mind, he couldn’t hold him to it. how could he be if the man was acting like this?

jimin giggled, sending him coughing again. “ugh, i hate being sick.” he complained, but then he turned to taehyung. “also, excuse you, i’m actually three. get your math together, man.”

“you’re an ass, y’know that?” taehyung chuckled.

he nodded. “yeah, i know. hobi tells me all the time when i persuade him to buy me food.”

“i’m starting to enjoy this ‘hobi’ a lot more.”

“he’s just a really good friend. he helps me with anything i need.” jimin assured him, even though a small blush was creeping up into his cheeks.

“yeah, yeah, i’m sure he is.”

together the boys sat for a few hours, watching the show that jimin admired. tae saw this, because when he glanced at jimin, his smile couldn’t possibly be bigger. just seeing him so happy, it made taehyung smile. he missed these moments with him.

around the tenth episode of what they were watching, tae peered at the clock on the wall. it read 11:30.

“hey, jimin?”

jimin hummed in response.

“it’s getting late.”

“so?” he grumbled, snuggling deeper into his blankets.

taehyung blinked. “i work tomorrow.”

jimin’s eyes grew wide. “what do you mean? you work on saturdays?”

“yes, i do. my boss set up this rotation schedule for weekends, and it’s my turn.” tae explained. “it’s not ideal, but he pays better on days people don’t want to work.”

“oh.” is all that came out of jimin’s mouth. his eyes never wavered from the screen. tae began to stand, but jimin quickly wrapped his fingers around his wrist.

glancing back at the boy, jimin’s eyes were now locked with his. all that was running through his mind is that jimin appeared like he was going to say something very serious. “can you carry me to my bed?”

tae scoffed. “really? with that look it looked like you were gonna confess your love to me.”

“you? gross! no way. i’m a sick boy, you’re supposed to help the sick and injured!”

tae laughed dryly and shook his head. “you’re unbelievable, y’know that? you can’t really think i’m going to one, do that for you, and two, be able to pick you up.”

“you can pick me up, you’ve done it before.”

“i know i have, but that was different. that was around the time where you asked me to dance that thing with you. i was fit then.”

the elder frowned. “taehyung, pleeeeaaaseee?” he looked up at his roommate with puppy dog eyes, trying to persuade him.

“you got legs. i’m going to bed.” taehyung stated flatly, trying to remove jimin’s little hand off his wrist.

“taehyungieeee!” he screeched, gripping onto his wrist tighter. “pleaaaase?”

“you’re not gonna stop, are you?”

“pleaaase tae tae!” he pleaded, beginning to fake sniffle, as he would always do when he was begging for something.

taehyung rolled his eyes. “fine.”

the older giggled in victory. “carry me, my prince.”

“you’re a little shit.” he said as he scooped up the ‘sick and injured’ boy, dropping the blanket on him onto the floor.

“i know.” he said with a cheeky smile. oh how he so wanted to smack this kid.

carefully, tae clutched onto jimin as he stumbled down the hall, and into his room. it hadn’t been touched since he left. the bed was still made how liked it; with little stuffed animal souvenirs that his dad bought him when he was younger.

jimin’s eyes lit up when he saw them. he didn’t like bringing them anywhere because they’re old, and fragile. seeing them seemed to only make his smile grow wider.

tae laid jimin down gently onto the bed, and exhaled sharply. minnie wasn’t exactly heavy, but taehyung wasn’t used to carrying grown ass men, either.

“i’ll bring you some water. do you want anything else, your royal pain in the ass?”

jimin pouted slightly. “no, thank you though.” he retreated underneath his sheets, and yawned. “thanks taehyungie.”

tae waved him off as he walked out of the room. once the coast was clear of jimin hearing, he sighed loudly.

“seems like i always forget how extra he is.” he spoke to himself, groaning at the thought of having to move jimin from the couch to the bed every night for a week. there was no way in hell he’d make him do it again.

the fridge door rattled as tae opened the door to find a water bottle. glancing around for one, he notices a few already cooked meals in tupperware on the top shelf.

huh, that’s odd. i don’t remember bringing food home recently. tae thought. however, he just brushed it off and snagged an unopened water bottle, and slammed the fridge door closed.

when he approached jimin’s room again, it was to his surprise that his door was open. without reacting to his sudden disappearance, he muttered a curse word under his breath before checking his room.

there was jimin, snoring away on tae’s bed instead of his own.

to avoid waking up jimin, in his own frustration he threw his hands up into the air, and punted a pillow across the room. why must this man be like this?!

rather than taking him back to his stuffy room, he left him there. it was probably better for him to sleep there, since his room is all dusty and cold.

tae shuffled away into his bathroom, and did his nightly routine of showering and brushing his teeth before curling up next to groggy and sniffly jimin in bed.

it took him a while to fall asleep. for some reason, his mind was racing, thinking about what happened to tae when jimin left.

he was heartbroken. one day, jimin said he had an opportunity to follow his dreams and so he was going to take it. and he left. it’s not that tae wanted him to not pursue his dream. no, that wasn’t it. but jimin’s the only family he has left.

what was he supposed to do with him gone? especially if he doesn’t return home for a year?

beside him, jimin scooted closer, draping his arm over taehyung sleepily. the younger froze at jimin’s touch, frightened at the sudden cuddle session.

the older sighed and made a happy noise before continuing his slumber.

as fast as the thoughts had arrived, they left him alone in the quiet room. the fan was whirring gently in the dark, sending cool air down into the somewhat humid room. jimin’s breath was hot against tae’s neck, but he didn’t have the heart to push him away. instead, he pulled jimin closer.

there wasn’t enough time to be mad at him. all tae could do was savor the moments while his best friend was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tend to write these late at night so if there’s typos that’s probably because i’m tired. i will go in and fix them, i promise. hope you liked this chapter! :)


	4. Chapter 4

_“morning people are gross,” jimin said, walking into the room with a pile of books in his hand._

_he still wore a bedhead, and he hadn’t bothered to change out of his pajama pants._

_“listen, i know it’s hard for you to wake up in the morning, and it is for me, too. however,” tae poured himself a cup of coffee in a mug that said ‘i woke up like this’ on it. “eventually you’ll have to work, and mornings will have to make do for it. you sacrifice your mornings to earn money.”_

_“i can’t wait,” jimin grumbled, grasping tae’s shirt hoodie and dragging it over the younger’s head._

 

years later, taehyung still remembered that conversation like he had it yesterday. they had to wake up for an exam for a class they were both taking, which took place around 8:00am. jimin’s not a morning person whatsoever, and can actually tend to be grumpy if he’s woken up.

tae, however, had grown used to it. he woke up entangled with his best friend, their cuddle session turning more into a messy game of twister by the time he was ready to escape the bed.

as much as he moved and as much noise as he made, jimin stayed asleep. the nickname ‘the rock’ given to him by a girl in college, was still relevant. taehyung could smack him and he wouldn’t do anything.

tae headed out of his apartment by 7:30am, leaving a note on the front door to give jimin the time that his shifts ended. although he didn’t work until 9, he was itching to leave the home.

the city was alive once tae took to the streets. cars jet by, almost sending tae’s black hat flying into the sky. cursing under his breath, he readjusted his cap and held it tight onto his head, thinking that he should get off the sidewalk until later on.

a tiny lit café next to a dog shop caught his attention. tae could feel a headache creeping on, and caffeine usually helped him. the glowing letters flickered on and off, seeming to die in brightness with each blink.

however, it seemed very quaint; like it belonged right next door to the bookstore. without giving the café a second thought, tae slipped into its open doors, the smell of freshly baked pastries wafting throughout the eatery.

there was a line of two people, and they both looked like they were in dire need of some strong coffee. who was tae to judge them, though? he has been called a zombie boy more than once.

a woman gathered her change as she finished paying and swept the frappé she had ordered into her hand, saying thanks before she exited the café.

the man in front of him smiled as the cashier and him locked eyes. “hi, uh, can i get... um...” his eyes wandered onto the menu written on a small chalkboard, and he squinted slightly. “oh, what do you personally prefer? the salted caramel frappé or the chocolate mocha?”

the cashier gave a smile and a small laugh in return. “sir, i’m personally more of a chocolate guy, so that’ll mean that-“

“i’ll get the chocolate mocha, then.”

“right, i’m on it, sir.” the employee jogged into the back and only a few moments later he emerged with an amazingly topped chocolate mocha. the whipped cream was flawlessly spun into a perfect spiral. “here you go.”

“that looks delicious.” the man said, pinching a straw with his two fingers and pressing it into his drink. he took one long gulp, before beaming at the worker. “this is amazing, even better than starbucks.”

“well, you can’t compare the two, but thank you so much.” the boy behind the register handed him his receipt, and thanked him again as he stepped out of the store.

then, his eyes were on taehyung. “sir? i can take you, now.”

a sliver of his pink hair was sneaking outside of his work hat, which had the café’s name stitched into it. tae couldn’t say anything about the choice of color other than he was one of the few people that could successfully pull it off. besides his pink vibrant hair, he had kind eyes, and a bright smile. a perfect employee for such a homey café.

“oh, alright.” taehyung said, half stumbling toward the man. “um, i hate to copy that gentleman that was in front of me, but what would you recommend out of anything that you serve here?”

he bit his lip, deep in thought for only a moment. “do you have any sort of drink that you prefer?”

“coffee? a strong one, i have work and i need to stay awake for my shift.” tae groaned, sighing loudly.

“work? on a saturday?” he questioned.

tae blinked. “you’re working.”

“yeah but i work in the restaurant industry. it’s different.”

tae never considered that. “good point.”

the boy clapped his hands together, rubbing them swiftly as to try and cut back to their original conversation. “sir, we have two beverages that are pretty strong, would you like to try a sample of both? the coffee beans are imported from colombia.”

“yes, please.”

taehyung went for the strongest one out of the two. it was mostly black coffee with a bit of creamer, but he needed it bitter so when he drank it he’s definitely stay awake. the café worker’s name was kihyun, a name that taehyung asked for when he brought him his drink.

overall he was a nice guy, but tae didn’t expect him to befriend someone like that. since he’s had so much trouble gaining friends, he finds it hard to believe when people make friends after one day of meeting eachother.

besides, he seemed like he was way out of taehyung’s friend league, so as taehyung left, all he could think about was how cool he’d look around someone like kihyun.

taehyung took a long sip of his bitter dirt water, and headed off down the no longer busy sidewalk, this time headed for the bookstore on the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there’s not really an uploading schedule for this story but i should really try to run on a schedule. however, with the work i have to do i’m not sure if i can set one right now.
> 
> thank you for almost 20 kudos! i really don’t deserve that many. i just really need to keep telling you guys how much it means to me that you read my story. this is a lot for me to do; to post my work online; so it means so much to me to see that people like it.
> 
> thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm a horrible person  
> i'm sorry i've had writer's block for a while now, and i finally got around to doing this  
> once again, i'm not super satisfied with this but i feel bad not for posting anything for so long.  
> sports just finished up for me so please just be patient, my schedule for this isn't really set in stone.  
> don't hurt me  
> song of the chapter (i guess?): When It Rains In Night- Pentagon  
> edit: ignore the huge spaces in between each paragraph -- it annoys me too but i need to post this.

"tae, you want to come with us?” jimin asked, sliding his little feet into his shoes, looking as if he were about to break down the door in his rush. “it’ll be fun, you could meet hobi and the rest of the crew.”

  


this was the second night taehyung’s roommate had invited him to a local club. ever since jimin has been feeling better, he’s been going straight back to his normal routines. although, he stayed home with tae, which was surprising for the boy.

 

it was a friday today, and tae didn’t have work tomorrow. however, tae really didn’t feel like going to a club. actually, he’d rather stay in his room and catch up on his book. “i’m not feeling that well, jiminie. another day?” tae lied. partially.

 

“this is the only day we’re doing this! some people will be there and i want you to meet them!” jimin yelled, pouting slightly.

 

nothing dared to come out of tae’s mouth. instead, he picked up after himself in the kitchen, and retreated into his room, where he switched on the tv to a random channel.

 

“c’mon taehyung!!!” jimin whined, somehow now in tae’s room.

 

 _how in the hell did he get here so fast?!_ tae thought.

 

eyebrow raised, he sighed. “jimin i don’t feel like drinking or dancing.” it wasn’t that he couldn’t hold his liquor, he just didn’t want to go to a club and break that promise to himself. to stay away from that shit.

 

“you don’t have to drink, then. you can sit there and look pretty.”

 

ignoring him, the reluctant brunette laid down on his bed and threw a pillow over his head, groaning.

 

“wow, you’re really gonna go there?” he heard jimin say, but it was muffled by the pillow.

 

he grunted in response and shooed the man from his room.

 

then, out of nowhere, jimin jabbed tae’s side, sending tae rolling onto the other side of his bed, giggling softly.

 

laughing, tae glared at jimin. “no, i told you i hate when you do thi-“

 

before he could finish his sentence, jimin was already attacking his side, making tae squeal.

 

“wow, you’re skinnier than i rememb-“

 

“PARK JIMIN!” taehyung managed to wheeze out. his stomach ached already at the massive laughing fit he was having.

 

jimin stopped, smirking at the younger. “yes, asshole?”

 

“can you stop? it hurts.” he croaked, gripping onto jimin’s wrists, pushing them away from himself.

 

jimin smiled devilishly. “only if you promise to come with me. i really want you to have fun, taetae. it’s a gift from me to you.”

 

the brunette rolled his eyes. “you already know the party scene isn’t for me. you should’ve learned it in college.”

 

“if you don’t go, then i’ll let everyone know about the one time you DID go to a party.”

 

tae perked up at those words. shaking his head, he kicked jimin away, and reluctantly headed into his closet to find clothes. “fine, i’ll go. don’t unearth that information you bitch.”

 

his roommate’s smile only grew larger seeing tae giving into his plan. “works every time.”

 

oh, how tae really just wanted to break the pretty boy’s nose.

 

~~

 

the uber jimin had called arrived a few minutes after taehyung had stumbled out of his apartment, wearing old ripped skinny jeans and a stretched out t-shirt. it had been a few years since he had gone to a proper club; his clothes were like drapes over him now. this was the only thing that he could think of wearing.

 

“what’re you wearing?” jimin asked, snorting at taehyung as he missed the last step of the metal staircase.

 

adjusting his shirt, he shrugged. “this is my famous ‘never get laid’ outfit.”

 

“more like ‘i’ve never been clubbing in my life’ clothes. don’t you have anything else to wear?”

 

“i can wear my work uniform if you wanted me to.” tae suggested.

 

“i’ve changed my mind, you’re fine. get in.” jimin groaned, practically shoving his younger into the back seat.

 

the uber driver jumped in surprise of the sudden image of tae falling face first into his back seat of his car. while taehyung groaned into the seat itself, the door was slammed shut behind him. just then, club park climbed into the passenger's side, glaring at his friend behind him.

 

once jimin had told the poor driver the address, he set off, not knowing what he was about to experience.

 

halfway to the club, tae and jimin began bickering back and forth about the events happening later on tonight.

 

“do you really think it’s smart for me to meet your friends for the first time at a club?” the image of four drunk males wrapped around jimin was all he could imagine about how well this would go.

 

“hoseok doesn’t drink much. he might have a drink but he’s a lightweight. as for the others, i can’t be sure. i’m just worried about you.”

 

“me? why?”

 

jimin exhaled. “i’m not sure. my friends can be a little wild sometimes. i don’t know if you’ll get overwhelmed or something.”

 

“i’m sure it’ll go fine. i was able to handle your college girlfriend, that means i can take anything at this point.”

 

“aish, you really needed to bring her up now?” the black haired boy’s lips curled just at the mention of his ex. “i suppose you’re right. you should be fine. she was the devil incarnate.”

 

“she was more than that, she made you an asshole. you’re still an asshole, just a little less of one.” tae remarked.

 

“don’t make me come back there and kick your ass again.” growled jimin.

 

tae bursted out laughing at the sight of the smaller boy mad; it looked more like a pouty face than an angry expression. That sent jimin’s shoe flying off and slapping tae in the forehead, him cupping his forehead in pain. “OW!”

 

all jimin did to reply was smirk. satisfied with what he did, he sat back in his seat and put on some music for a few moments until they arrived at the club.

 

after giving the driver a generous tip for the hassle of carrying the two boys, the car drove away, disappearing into the night.

 

now it was just the two of them, standing outside of the place. tae had passed by it before several times, but this was opened recently and therefore he had never been here. just by the door, the glass was vibrating, the bass of the speakers shaking the cement below tae’s converse.

 

jimin was tapping his shoe onto the sidewalk lightly, bringing his phone up to his ear.

 

“are you here? yeah we’re outside. where are you?” he spoke with a sense of urgency, pacing back and forth across the entrance, squinting into the glass, trying to spot his buddies dancing inside. “hobi, are you in the front of the back of the place? that’s all I want to know. okay. thanks.”

 

jimin peered over his shoulder and nodded to tae. “let’s just go in.”

 

following the older’s lead, jimin and tae step onto the other side of the wall, immediately being shoved into the action of the club. music blasted through the small space, people dancing passionately with a counterpart. this music was meant for one of those supposedly sexy moments couples have, but tae wasn’t feeling it. watching people grind on each other like it’s the last thing they’d ever do made him want to throw up.

 

“you go on ahead, find your friends. i’m gonna be over here.” tae stated plainly, by now regretting his decision to come. this scene was already giving him a headache.

“wow, really? you’re trying to get out of this and it hasn’t even been two seconds.” scoffed jimin. while glaring at his stubborn roommate, jimin rolled his eyes and headed towards the opposite side of the building, ultimately deciding to leave the hopeless cause (tae) alone.

 

for maybe an hour, tae reluctantly watched the dancers in the center of the lit up floor. he just wanted to make his best friend happy by coming. it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s glad he did it. to be honest, he despised these sort of things. the last time he had gone to one of these things, he was piss drunk. obviously he doesn’t remember that much, but he regretted it. since then, he’d been avoiding it. until now, of course.

 

despite his disinterest in the activity, he ordered a drink. what else was he supposed to do? the atmosphere since they had arrived had changed; the lighting was darker, the music was sexier. taehyung sipped his drink that he ordered, and turned away from the sights going on around him.

 

just then, a tall man approached him. tae glanced upwards, but didn’t pay much attention to him. sometimes if he’s at a bar, just playing billiards with namjoon, drunk guys would approach the table and try to make a fool out of themselves. naturally, this seemed like the same situation to him.

 

“what do you want?” tae asked, sounding somewhat annoyed. he didn’t mean for it to sound that way, but he almost always comes off as salty.

 

“oh, uh, hi.” he appeared nervous. “ the guy over there sent me over.” he stuck out his finger to point at jimin’s table. “name’s hoseok.”

 

taehyung put down his phone, realizing that he should probably pay attention to “sorry, man. i didn’t think he’d send you over. i’m taehyung, but you probably knew that.”

 

“yeah, yeah! i’ve heard a lot of things about you. it’s nice to meet you.”

 

“you, too.” there was a tense moment of silence between the two males.

 

“so, this isn’t your scene, huh? you look really bored.” tae perked up at the image of hoseok grinning at him sort of apologetically. “sorry this was the place we had to meet.”

 

tae shook his head. “no, no, this is alright. i’ve just got a headache from the music. i don’t go out often anymore. not since he left.”

 

jimin’s friend raised an eyebrow. “who? jimin?”

 

taehyung stretched, yawning while nodding. “yeah. we used to do this a lot in college, but i just don’t find the appeal of it anymore. plus i have two jobs to keep myself busy and to be able to pay rent, so i can’t find time to do this often.”

 

“ah, that makes sense. to be honest, i don’t either. i only go because of him. he genuinely enjoys these kinds of places; i come to make sure he has a ride home.” hoseok admitted, glancing at the black haired boy, who’s dancing with another friend of his. a fuzzy image of jimin huddled up in the back of his car in college fazed into his mind. he had passed out at a frat house, and one of tae’s friends called him to come get him. being the good friend that he is, he gathered his things and went to go pick up the drunk boy. although nothing had happened that night, something made him realize that jimin was vulnerable. hormones were raging about in the frat house, and who knew who might try to hurt him. from that point on, tae vowed to always try his best to be that friend that jimin can trust, and that he can rely on when he gets into a pickle. “him and seokwoo love to get pretty rowdy.”

 

“i’m sorry, he can be such a pain.”

 

“nah, he’s not too bad. he’s a talented kid, but he’s also very kind. these are the only times that I can find myself arguing with him.”

 

taehyung’s eyes grew wide. “so you’re telling me he’s not always an asshole, then? wow, that’s wild.”

 

hoseok chuckled. “Believe it or not, yeah. He’s very respectful and sweet towards everyone at the studio. especially to junghwan.”

 

“junghwan?”

 

hoseok pointed to a flame-haired male who was currently watching jimin, somewhat in awe. tae couldn’t see much of what he looked like, but his muscular shape was outlined by the neon lights radiating throughout the club. “he’s a friend of mine. He used to dance, but then he went into military service-”

 

hoseok continued to talk, but tae was drifting away into his own thoughts. who was this guy to jimin? after all, jimin met hoseok a few months ago. he’d like to think that he met junghwan just weeks ago. how well does he know this guy? does he really like him? it wasn’t that he didn’t want jimin to be happy, no that wasn’t it. in that car, so many years ago, he had promised himself that he would be there. there for anything he needed. the boy had been there for his roommate when that demon girl dumped him. that destroyed him. even though she was horrible to him and manipulated him, minnie was distraught.

 

rather than having himself overthink about this situation, he excused himself outside for a moment to get some air. besides the fact that his emotions were trying to get the best of him, his head was pounding. the constant bass had his whole body buzzing, even after he left the club. though outside the smell of rain wafted through the air, he didn’t mind. even if rain erupted from the clouds, he wouldn’t care. as long as something could soothe his migraine.

 

sure enough, rain started pelting the brown haired boy’s forehead. not that he cared; the sound of rain could mute out the aggressive vibrations still coursing through his limbs. a truck rumbled past him, followed by a van filled with people, then a motorcycle.

 

“a motorcycle? horrible time to ride one of those.” taehyung said aloud, not to anyone in particular.

 

“hey, stranger! what are you doing out in the rain?!” a voice from his right sounded, a man running full speed towards him. the man had his hand wrapped into his hoodie, forcing it to stay on his head as he headed for cover indoors. once he reached tae, who was sitting at an empty restaurant table next door to the nightclub, he stopped in front of him, gasping for his breath before smiling at the boy. “go inside! you’re gonna get sick!”

 

tae narrowed his eyes at the brunette before him, only realizing who he was moments later. “jungkook?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was the song fitting or no? :D  
> thanks for 20 kudos! you guys don't understand how much this means to me that people are reading this.  
> if you have any feedback, it'll be appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry, this is another late ish update.  
> i’ve been sidetracked lately.  
> i promise i’ll try to work on this more.  
> i’m gonna try to finish this up soon, since i know that if i don’t try and finish it, i won’t ever finish it and i’ll leave people hanging.  
> it’s a short chapter but i will hopefully have a double upload next time. possibly.  
> love you guys, thanks for reading my story <3
> 
> ALSO TWO (three) THINGS:  
> STREAM MONO  
> STREAM ARE YOU THERE  
> STAN MONSTA X
> 
> song of the day; seoul- rm

 

“jungkook? what are you doing-”

 

taehyung was cut off by the feeling of jungkook’s hand around his own, tugging him out of his seat and almost sending him face first into the pavement.

 

“sorry!” he stammered, apologizing for using too much strength against the skinnier boy. get up! we’re going inside.”

 

“but-” he couldn’t manage to finish a sentence until the door of the place ended up slapping his face. grimacing in pain, the other boy dragged him inside against his own will, groaning as jungkook forced him down into a chair.

 

“what the hell, man!” taehyung growled, trying to ease the pain going through his face.

 

Jungkook turned to tae, now seeing what had happened. Blood had somehow began to gush out of taehyung’s nose. “Ah shit, i’m sorry!”

 

When jungkook, offered him his help, he pushed it away; instead, he went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up. Since he was a kid, he tended to get nosebleeds out of the blue a lot, but this was purely because his face wanted to make love with the door this time around. His nose ached, but he really didn’t think it was broken. It would quite possibly be bruised tomorrow.

 

once he emerged from the restroom a few minutes later, jungkook was leaning on the wall near it. His eyes locked with tae’s when the door opened, and he rushed to his side.

 

“i’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that.” he said, bowing quickly to show his respect.

 

tae reached for jungkook’s shirt, and pulled him back upright. “there’s no need to do that. don’t apologize, you were only trying to help.”

 

“yeah but i-“

 

“what are you doing here?” tae interrupted. “aren’t you too young to be here?”

 

“yeah, but i work here. it’s not in that sense- my cousin owns this place. he gave me a job serving drinks.” jungkook explained, his eyes peering over to people onto the dance floor.

 

“isn’t that illegal?”

 

“no. not to my knowledge. if it’s run in family i think it’s okay.” jungkook’s voice shrunk; he sounded like a little boy who had just found himself in trouble with his parents.

 

tae knew that in this country, you couldn’t serve alcohol until you were of the legal age, and this brunette in front of him did not look like he was remotely close to it.

 

“okay then.” tae supposed that it would be better off not telling him the truth. “nice to see you again. how are the books? you enjoying them?”

 

jungkook nodded. “i’m on the third book of percy jackson. so far the series is blowing my mind.”

 

“good, right? those books got me through my greek mythology course.” taehyung stated with a small chuckle. “i promise you it only gets better from here.”

 

“i trust you. you look like you know your books.”

 

“do i come off as a book nerd with these clothes on?” taehyung fixed the hem of his shirt, which was folded over, exposing his bony stomach.

 

jungkook shook his hands in front of me along with his head, frantically trying to rephrase what he said. “no no no no, that’s not what i meant! i meant you look like an intellectual- i mean... a normal clubgoer.”

 

taehyung couldn’t help but smile at the flustered boy. “go get to work, you asshole. thanks for ruining my nose job!”

 

the brown haired boy’s doe eyes glanced down at tae’s shoes again. he mumbled a ‘sorry’ and ran away into the staff entry doors.

 

tae exhaled slowly. it took him a solid minute before he noticed his hands were shaking; shaking due to how cold he was. the weather outside had absolutely drenched him, and in here the a/c had been cooled down since he lef to sit outside.

 

at the far table, hoseok still sat alone, waiting for tae’s return.

 

now he hated himself. he made the poor boy wait way too long. what kind of impression does this give him?

 

rushing, tae approached the table again, and slid right back into his seat, making sure that it looked like nothing had happened. “sorry about that.”

 

hoseok’s eyes stuck to the dripping wet boy almost uncomfortably. “what the hell happened to you?”

 

“mother nature happened, that’s what.”

 

in between the laughter of the red headed male lounging in front of him, jimin’s glance flicked towards tae’s table, which tae noticed almost immediately. his sharp glare was almost like he was stabbing daggers into tae’s soul. some part of tae’s body trembled.

 

“as you can see, i needed to dry myself off in the restroom because of it. that’s why it took me so long. i apologize for having to wait for me.”

 

“oh, it’s really nothing! i understand what happened now. it’s okay.”

 

the rest of the night went by like a rain shower on a sunny day. before they knew it, it was 2am and everything had died down. jimin and junghwan were sitting with seokwoo, talking about who knows what at the far end. hoseok and taehyung stayed chatting about certain things, mainly jimin. there were plenty of stories shared about the older roommate of tae’s; some good, some extremely embarassing, and everything else in between.

 

overall, it was a good night. tae sent a message to a local uber to come pick the two men up.

 

both of them stood on the curb, taking silent breaths, the awkward tension between the two getting worse as time went on.

 

“so, did you enjoy meeting Hoseok?” words finally fumbled out of the older’smouth. they were somewhat slurred, but he could tell that he still had some control of what he says.

 

“oh, he’s a nice guy.” tae answered, sharing a small grin with jimin.

 

“so you liked him? first impression is good?”

 

“yes, hyung.” all that was flowing through his mind at the moment, however, was junghwan. oh, and jungkook.

 

 _wait_ , _is_ _he_ _still_ _working?_ _it’s_ _so_ _late_. “i’ll be right back. stay here, okay?”

 

“roger that.” jimin saluted with a drunken smile plastered on his face.

 

i hope to god he doesn’t do anything stupid, tae thought to himself. with one more glance, he headed inside into the stuffy building again.

 

the mood had shifted in the club, but by now it was almost empty. the sun would be rising in a few hours, they usually close before then.

 

“hey, stranger.” jungkook said, walking up gracefully behind him, resting his hand on tae’s shoulder. “is your nose fine?”

 

“yes, it’s fine.” tae craned his neck to see if jimin was still waiting outside the club, and he wasn’t peering inside. “i uh- when do you get out of work?”

 

“i close. my cousin and i will be here and lock up around 5am.” he replied, smiling shyly, scratching his head. “why?”

 

tae blinked. “no particular reason. i was just gonna ask how often you work here.”

 

jungkook straightened up his work uniform, reshaping the collar. “not that often, really. just weekends. that’s when the pay is good.” just then, jungkook grabbed his tip marker and pulled the cap off. “can i have your hand?”

 

“uh, su-“ jungkook tugged tae’s hand out of his pocket, bringing up closer to his view and held it still before scribbling something on his palm.

 

“that’s for you. if you want it.”

 

“you couldn’t just write it on a piece of paper?”

 

“no, you’d lose it. figured it would work better if it was in permanent ink on your dominant hand.”

 

“how-“

 

“now, shoo. your friend is waiting outside, isn’t he? don’t make him wait longer for you.”

 

not a sound came from tae’s lips. instead, a look of confusion spread through the now inked boy’s face.

 

jungkook’s laughter was the only thing he heard as he jogged back to his drunk cuddle buddy just beyond the glass.

 

~~

 

the house was quiet by the time tae had emerged from the shower, his hair dripping and steam flowing out of the room as if it were a sauna. drying up his ears, he glanced outside of his cracked door to see jimin’s door was shut. that meant the tipsy small man had finally crashed after such a rowdy night.

 

now he had the peace and quiet that he’d been longing all night. his ears were still ringing from the aggressive speakers that were on full volume as the music raced about in the already loud rave.

 

ruffling his hair with his towel, he tossed it over it’s rack upon the bathroom wall before groaning and slipping under his sheets. his migraine had grown even more painful, to the point where it was almost unbearable, but he couldn’t find the energy to get up. no, even though he did nothing but stand around and have a nice chat with a solid oak door, he was extremely exhausted.

 

however, before he turned off his bedside light, he glanced at his right palm, remembering the feeling of jungkook’s gentle fingers as they held his hand still as he wrote. the marker tickled his skin, and left something to be read stained on it. he’d been so occupied with jimin that he didn’t even recall that jungkook had written something. until now.

 

tae’s eyes widened slightly.

 

it was jungkook’s number.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be a double upload, but more of like "i'm in the middle of writing the next chapter, and it will be maybe another day before i can upload it"  
> I wanted to post this one because it's already done.  
> I typed it on my computer so the letters are capitalized and there's probably better spelling in this one.  
> i hope you enjoy this contemplation chapter i guess.  
> Song of the Day: Jacob Lee- Demons

He was more surprised than anything to find his number, all ten digits written neatly on his palm. Normally it wouldn’t happen like this; he’d be the one giving the other person his number. But then, they’d never bother to contact him. Having it done to him felt a lot more strange than he felt doing it.

Now, instead of succumbing into a nice, deep sleep, he stared at the numbers, watching the light shift off and onto the dark ink, contemplating whether or not to save it. If he really thought about it, he had only met him twice, but for some reason he already seemed like a friend to him. Like a friend he’s known his whole life. And that was something he’d never experienced before.

His phone laid beside him, buzzing up a storm. It was probably his friend Namjoon. Or it could be Jin. Taehyung tried to resist the temptation of picking up his phone, but the rumbling of his phone on the wooden nightstand was only aggravating him more.

 

namjoon:

Yo, dude

Are you awake?

 

namjoon:

We need to talk

It’s important

 

namjoon:

It’s about her

 

tae:

Yes sir

I am here

What do you want at 3:24 in the morning

namjoon:

She’s trying to kill me again

 

Taehyung rolled his eyes. _Why does he always come to me so he can talk about his girlfriend?_

 

tae:

And you want me to help how?

namjoon:

Tell her to stop being cute

I can’t take it

TAEHYUNG SHE’S CUDDLING WITH ONE OF MY RYAN PLUSHIES

SHE’S TOO CUTE I CAN'T

tae:

First of all, gross

Second of all, why are you texting me about her?

Just let her be. Keep these things to yourself, you lovey dovey ass.

namjoon:

Fine, fine.

But I have to let out what’s on my mind before bed

I can’t sleep if I don’t

tae:

Remind me to keep my phone on silent when this time comes around again, please

This is like the tenth time this has happened

I need sleep, I have a migraine.

namjoon:

Then why aren’t you sleeping already?

tae:

Things on my mind right now, too busy thinking about things to actually sleep

namjoon:

Like what exactly?

tae:

Nothing important for the most part

namjoon:

Well if it’s keeping you up, then it’s important

tae:

It doesn’t concern you, joon. Sorry.

There was a slight pause in message replies for a few moments.

 

namjoon:

I’m hurt

But okay

I just hope you figure things out

tae:

Thanks I guess. Night joonie.

namjoon:

Night.

 

Disappointed in himself, Tae sighed loudly. The results of that conversation was far from what he wanted. But his habit was pushing people away; that wasn’t something he’s been able to work on since Jimin left. There’s been many times where tae has had full mental breakdowns, and has yet to tell anyone about them.

In reality, he wanted to tell namjoon about jungkook, and how he had obtained a boy’s number. But he knew that if he told him, namjoon would bug him about them being together, which is not what he needed right now.

His eyes were feeling heavy, but he wasn’t ready to fall asleep yet. Instead, he wrapped himself in a blanket and stepped outside the apartment, feeling the harsh cold attack him as soon as he opened the door. The chilly wind woke him up promptly, sending him squealing as he rushed to cover his legs and feet.

Being where he was now, now he could think clearly. This was his spot where he contemplated everything. _What should I make for dinner? What book should I read next? What could I do to make myself stop missing Jimin?_ It was a multi purpose problem solver.

“What should I do about Jungkook?” Tae whispered in the wind, looking for a straight answer. He bit his lip, twirling his thumbs around each other, lost in thought.

Okay, what were the pros and cons?

  1. Pros



-he’s a cute boy

-seems like a fantastic friend

-likes books

-smells like good cologne

-really nice fashion sense

-doe eyes

  1. Cons



-he could be an axe murderer

-he could be another person like my ex

-he could chew with his mouth open

-he could be one of those people who leaves the seat up

-there’s nothing bad i can say about his appearance

 

“Kim Taehyung.” he said aloud to himself. “You’re young. You take chances. Add him.”

And so he did.

He didn’t text him, though. Not tonight, he couldn’t handle more anxiety than he already had in his trembling hands.

He crawled back inside and threw himself back into bed, curling up underneath the sheets.

Oh, how he so desperately hopes he made the right choice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry this didn’t come out sooner  
> i’ve had such a busy week  
> i’m so SoRrY  
> take my love ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
> 
> no but i meant this to be a double upload but i forgot about it completely  
> don’t hate me for it  
> here you go tho
> 
> song of the day: Love Someone- Lukas Graham

        “Taehyung, get up! It’s past noon!” Jimin screeched, throwing yet another pillow at the younger boy. Instead he groaned, gripping it and chucking it back at Jimin’s general area.

        “No, go away.” He whined groggily.

        “You need to do something today.” jimin said. “It’s a nice day, why don’t we go out walking?”

        Tae replied to his roommate’s words with a very grumpy middle finger.

        Suddenly, Jimin’s hands dug underneath tae’s back, and he planted them on his sides. With a big huff, tae was above his bed, and clinging onto jimin in fear of falling.

        “Oh now you want me? How cute.” his smirk grew wider as he tossed tae over his shoulder and marched out of his room with the now hostage.

        Tae screamed wildly, laughing, punching jimin in the back, hoping that he would drop him eventually.

        They traveled into the loft, where jimin pried the younger off of him and left him on the blanket covered couch.

        “Do you work at all today?”

        “What day is it today?”

        “Wednesday.”

        “Nope.” tae hummed, popping the p. “You didn’t have to take me out of bed.”

        “Oh yes I did. We’re going out.”

        Tae propped himself up in surprise, glaring at the black haired boy. They never went out after a club night back then. He was usually too sick to function until the next day. At least, that’s how tae often times felt. His alcohol tolerance, although high, he had very bad hangovers. That’s why he avoided it, not only because his body reacted that way, but he would have to care for the smaller boy. “The hell we are. I dragged your ass home last night, shouldn’t you have a hangover right now?”

        Jimin shook his head. “I took aspirin earlier. I feel fine now.”

        Taehyung rubbed his temples. “aish. Where are you planning to force me to go today, jimin?”

        “I don’t know. Somewhere. You spend a lot of time at home.” he said, a sincere look in his eyes as they both shared glanced.

        Tae rolled his eyes. “Well, see, that’s not my fault. I’m working most of the time. Since you arrived, I’ve been getting less hours, that’s all. Rarely do I ever get time to rest.”

        “Sure, sure. I don’t suppose then it’s because you’re too antisocial to care to find something to do?” teased jimin.

        “I’m being honest.”

“Do you want someone to text? Hoseok’s a good friend to text.” he suggested. “I’ll go put it in your phone.” The boy skipped to tae’s messy room, growing quiet once he frolicked in.

        Taehyung froze, and shot out up in his seat. “Wait, no. I can do it.”

        “Have you changed your password?!”

“Yeah! So nosy little shits like you can’t-“

“I GOT IN!”

After sprinting into his room and wrestling with jimin for a solid ten minutes, jimin reluctantly gave up hoseok’s number for taehyung to put it in his phone.

“Thank you kind sir.” Tae smirked evily, panting slightly as he sat sort of triumphantly on top of jimin.

“I hate you.” his opponent growled under his breath.

Eventually, the two did get ready to explore the outdoors and take a stroll through the park. Though, as soon as Tae emerged with some decent clothes on, jimin confessed that he had to go somewhere and that he forgot he had plans with someone else.

Once tae set up a prank to get jimin back from all the torture he made him go through, he yanked a coat from the hanger, snatched his phone from the coffee table, and left his apartment.

  _i_   _hate that he got me up today. my head is still throbbing, but I haven’t had a chance go adress it. It’s just sometimess i have to ignore things to enjoy things with him. Now, I have to think that I’ll only have a limited time with him and that I need to try to have as much fun with him as I can._

An hour later, Tae found himself still walking towards a destination that didn’t exist. At this point he was extremely lost, and he didn’t have a clue on where to go. Around him were more apartments, but they lead to a clearing of where a park is. Children are playing tag, rushing across the neatly manicured grass, trying to tap each other. Some parents were on their way there. Others were huddling on a bench, probably discussing the weather or talking about their son or daughter.

Yawning, tae paused his journey to grab a seat on one rickety wooden bench just outside the vacinity of the park. Reaching for his phone, he mindlessly pulled up his contacts, and began to text jimin.

 

tae:

dude i’m so lost

i went out for a walk and i’ve been walking for an hour

i don’t know what part of the city i’m in.

 

while he was waiting for a response, he glanced at his surroundings, admiring the actions taking place around him. a street vendor was selling food that wafted all the way down three blocks. it smelled like heaven.

then, he got a violent buzz from his phone, almost scaring him entirely out of his seat.

only then did realization hit him that he sent the text to the wrong boy.

 

~~

jungkook:

tae?

 

tae:

i’m so sorry i didn’t mean to text you that, that was for jimin

but yes it’s me i’m dyslexic

 

jungkook:

hi dyslexic, i’m dad

 

tae had to bite his cheek in order to stop himself from saying anything rude.

 

jungkook:

are you actually lost?

 

tae:

mayyyyybe.

 

jungkook:

well, where are you?

what are your surroundings?

 

tae:

uhh

i’m in a park surrounded by apartments

 

jungkook:

that literally sounds like every park in the city

 

tae:

i guess i’ll be lost forever

(ㆀ˘･з･˘)

 

jungkook:

did you just send me an emoji

 

tae:

don’t judge me you little shit

 

 _what_ _happened_ _to_ _being_ _nice?_

 

jungkook:

okay okay fine

i have an idea, give me a few minutes.

okay?

 

tae:

uh okay

 

in the meantime tae switched on some music, and searched up something to read. yeah, he wasn’t gonna try to wander again; look where it got him.

time went by slowly. autumn leaves blew past the brown haired boy, tumbling and rolling down onto the street. bikes rode past him, sending waves of cold air past the bench. honestly, he hated the cold. yet he also liked it so he could wear long sleeves. not only were they cozy, but they were baggy enough to hide how skinny he was getting. no one would ask him during these months. it was pure bliss.

by the time the kids had dispersed and gone home, he gets a message.

only it wasn’t from jungkook.

 

jimin:

where the hell are you

i left you here and now that im back and ready to party you’re gone

 

tae dug his nails into his thigh somewhat angrily. it didn’t seem like he found his prank yet. or he disarmed it. shit.

 

tae:

i’m out

and about

 

jimin:

where are you?

 

tae:

no where

just wanted some fresh air.

 

jimin:

come back !!!

(*^◯^*)

 

someone tapped taehyung on his shoulder, making him jump and nearly drop his phone.

“aish, be careful!” tae snapped, sighing with relief as he secured his phone in his hands.

he turned to look up, and he saw the beaming evil face of none other than jungkook. “ta-da!”

“i hate you.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right so i know this may be late  
> it is late  
> i have no excuse  
> besides holidays  
> and sickness  
> and school-  
> okay maybe i do have reasonable excuses  
> HOWEVER i’m already writing the tenth chapter which will be a doozy so stay tuned for that one soon  
> for now i will leave you with this:  
> I’M SORRY (*´ー｀*)  
> PLEASE FORGIVE ME  
> or you can smack me with a stick idc  
> ANYWAY HERE YOU GO-  
> ps if there’s any typos i will fix them
> 
> song of the day: LALALA- Babylon (ft. CHUNG HA)

       tae stared at the boy smiling brightly towards him, wondering where the hell he came from. “where the hell did you come from?”

jungkook laughed. “well, before i tell you how i finished my quest to find a lost idiot, can you scoot over? my feet hurt.”

tae was somewhat surprised at the sudden name calling, but he didn’t mind. instead, he kept a straight face and nodded before sluggishly sliding over.

content, the boy with the doe eyes sat down softly, the old wood squeaking underneath him. “it’s colder than i thought it would be.”

“yeah. i don’t mind the cold.”

“i don’t usually, but-“ he shivered, crossing his arms. “anyway, i live right up there,” jungkook pointed to an apartment with a balcony, littered with christmas lights. “that’s how i found you.”

“so i coincidently found out where you lived and got lost right next to it.” taehyung’s eyebrows furrowed. “huh, maybe i am good at something.”

the younger chuckled. “you’re good a lot of things, don’t bring yourself down like that.”

he wanted to take that compliment, but how sure was this kid about that? tae’s certain that he’s awful at most of what he tries. the only thing he could confidently say that he was okay at was books. anything with books was good for him.

“you wanna grab a cup of hot cocoa? i know a good one that’s not far from here.”

on the inside he hoped that this was just a friendly gesture. “uh, yeah, sure.”

jungkook shot out of his seat, and cheered. “thank the heavens! we can get out of this cold!” just then, he reached for tae’s hand once again, tugging him upward.

“listen kid, if you ram my face into a door again i’m gonna punch you.” tae growled.

jungkook gulped. “oh, a-aye, sir!”

together, the two men raced down the sidewalk, jogging towards the smell of freshly roasted coffee.

 

~~~~

 

“all this time, you were talking about this place?”

the tiny café standing before both of them was none other than kihyun’s. who knew that they were only a 15 minute walk from where they were? tae sure didn’t.

“yep, look at her, shimmering in her glory.” jungkook stood proudly in front of the shop, seeming as if he could hug it he would. “this is my safe haven.”

“let me guess. this is where you had ‘the best lemon blueberry muffin you’ve ever had in your short existence’?” tae guessed, smirking at the soft boy who was now on his knees bowing down to the infamous red door. this guy is so extra.

“oh yes, the ugly cupcake sent from heaven!” he breathed, cautiously pushing himself back up from the ground. “plus i have some friends that work here. they graduated with my cousin.”

interesting. “can we get inside? it’s colder than antarctica out here.” tae grumbled, shoving his hands as deep as they could go in his pockets.

“sure thing ya grump.” jungkook opened the door, sending the little chime sound echoing throughout the empty store. “so overdramatic.”

          _i’m supposedly the dramatic one here? you just bowed down to the café,_ tae thought.

though there wasn’t much activity inside, the room felt warm, and the brewing coffee smelled divine.

“i’ll be with you guys in a few shakes!” someone shouted from behind the employee door.

there was music playing faintly through speakers around the kitchen. even though tae had very keen ears; he couldn’t make out the muffled singing coming from the other side.

just then, the pink haired dork tumbled out of the back, tripping over his own two feet. “ah yes.” he mumbled, his face flat onto the ground. “i smelled an asshole coming through my door. that’s why i made you wait.”

“i missed you too, kihyun.” jungkook laughed.

then, the small barista locked eyes with taehyung. “oh! hello again! i didn’t realize you were with him!”

“he offered, i’m here for free cocoa.” shrugged the light haired boy.

“wait.” jungkook’s attention quickly turned to his friend. “you know him?”

kihyun smiled at tae. “yeah, sure we do. he came in for coffee the other day. before he had to go in for work.”

“how come you didn’t tell me you’d been here before?”

“surprise?”

~~~~~~~~

“so,” the barista untied his apron behind him, and began to fold it neatly in his arms subconsciously. “how’d you meet little kookie over here?”

he was getting ready to close up the café for his lunch break, which was allowed since he was the only one working today. kihyun tugged at the hem of his shirt gently as he flipped the sign from open to ‘sorry, we’re closed’.

“he ran into me at the bookstore, where i work.” tae recalled. “bought some books.”

“aw, i was hoping that meeting story would be so much more exciting.” kihyun huffed, disappointed. “i’m not much of a book person.”

“you a music person then?” the pink haired man perked up.

“oh, yeah, i guess you could say that.” kihyun stammered, shuffling back to his station and grabbing two muffins.

“he has a wonderful voice. he wrecks everyone in kareoke.” jungkook frowned, crossing his arms.

“you’re not too far off either, jeongguk.” kihyun replied, tossing a muffin at him.

jungkook’s eyes lit up, as he happily snatched the muffin and sunk his teeth into the top. he hummed in delight. “i don’t sing.” he managed to say.

“sure, alright.”

tae remained silent as he listened to the two friends bicker back and forth. by the time he was addressed in the conversation, a drink was placed in front of him and so was a sandwich.

“earth to taehyung.” jungkook held his hand in front of tae’s face, startling him slightly.

“sorry, sorry.”

both of the males laughed. “it’s okay, why are you apologizing?” kihyun asked.

he shrugged, not knowing the answer himself. “i tend to do that. jimin tells me that it’s annoying, but screw him.”

“jimin? was that the boy you were with at the club?” tae’s eyes landed on the younger, who had already devoured every crumb of the muffin.

“i was with him, yeah. he’s my roommate, and he kind of dragged me there. but i was meeting with a friend of his.”

“hmm, how was he? he wasn’t a total ass, was he?” the look of concern on jungkook’s face slightly worried taehyung. why was he concerned? this was none of his business.

taehyung cleared his throat. “no, he was alright.” kihyun returned with a black cup of coffee for himself, sliding into the booth next to jungkook. “he didn’t slam my face into a door, unlike someone else.”

jungkook suddenly grew pale. “are you gonna eat that?”

to be honest, taehyung was hungry, but he’s been struggling with keeping things down. “you can have it, i’m not hungry.”

while jungkook was stuffing his face again, taehyung briefly glanced at his phone. there were 15 texts from jimin.

 

jimin:

tae?

taehyung?

where’d you go?

taehyung i swear

answer me

where are you?

don’t do this to me again

that’s it, i’m coming to find you

if you don’t respond i’m calling namjoon

i’m pissed now

gonna kill you when i find you

then hug you

but then kill you again

 

taehyung was interrupted by his phone ringing in his hands. “i’ll be right back, gotta take this.”

he slid out of his seat, and jogged to the bathroom, shutting the door quickly behind him. “hello?”

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU KIM TAEHYUNG?!”

taking the phone away from his ears, he cursed under his breath before he answered. “i’m at a café with friends. why?”

“i’m plotting your murder. where are you really?”

“at a café. i’m not lying.”

“give me the directions.”

“why do you care where i’m at?”

“because you left without warning and haven’t replied to anything of mine for an hour! last thing i heard from you was that you were lost and you didn’t know where you were! what if something happened to you?” jimin was fuming; his voice was getting raspy.

“i’m not a baby, i can take care of myself. you know that.”

“i have to make sure you’re okay. isn’t that what brothers are supposed to do?”

“since when do you care about that?” tae snapped. “last time i checked, brothers don’t drop off the radar and just leave you in the dark for a year.”

there was silence on the other line.

tae sighed. “listen. i’m fine, alright? trust me. don’t worry about me. i can take care of myself.”

with that, tae hung up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also i’m a loser but thanks for all the hits and reads i’m so freaking happy  
> you guys really don’t understand how much this means to me eeeeeeee  
> anyway hope you liked it babes
> 
> leave any feedback below or comment if you want more ^^ pls it’s encouraged n appreciated- let me know how i can improve my writing  
> (ex: i know i’m repetitive w verbs, i am trying to work on that)  
> until next time ! ٩( ᐛ )و


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so  
> this chapter has a lot to it and i know it’s just- BLEH  
> but it has a lot of the story in it between  
> i hope it’s okay  
> it’s uh  
> a lot  
> and tae’s feelings finally come out in a bathroom stall  
> HONESTLY I DONT KNOW THATS WHERE THEY CAN GET PRIVACY OKAY  
> ANYWAY enjoy this shitty chapter written by me
> 
> song of the day: DON’T LET ME KNOW- iKON

      there jimin stood, phone still to his ear, attempting to call tae back for the tenth time.

“voicemail.” he announced aloud to no one in particular.

the fan was spinning above him with a slight squeak as it went around. as much as he had been to namjoon’s house, he forgot how toasty he left it inside. the heater was on full blast; jimin felt like he was being set to roast in an oven.

“he’ll come around.” namjoon stated, himself laying down on the couch beside the pacing boy.

“i just wanted to know if he was okay. is it wrong for me to think that way?”

namjoon shook his head. “of course not. tae’s just difficult.” he rested his head back on the armrest to look at jimin. “it’s only natural to worry about a friend that you consider your brother. but you have to trust that he can take care of himself. he’s very good at it.”

“and i don’t doubt that.”

there was a moment of silence between the two of them.

“he’s been going through a rough time lately.” namjoon admitted. “you going away to dance absolutely crushed him. and it wasn’t that he didn’t want you to follow your dream or be happy or anything, but he didn’t want to be apart from you.”

“he didn’t seem to be affected by it. he was crying happy tears when i got the call about the position from hoseok.” jimin didn’t seem to remember if tae acted upset when he left that day. he only recalled how thrilled taehyung was for him.

“i’m not sure you’re aware of how tae works.” the older said. “he bottles up his emotions.”

“i know that.” jimin snapped. the older shared a stern look with him before he continued.

“about 6 months after you left, taehyung came to my door. he had broke down right on my front steps. i’ve never seen taehyung so distraught about something.”

jimin was surprised to hear that. never once in their whole roommate situation had he seen tae break down. he always assumed that he just wasn’t an emotional guy. that he was strong, that nothing ever hurt him. that’s something he admired about tae.

“he hadn’t heard anything from you since you had left. when he tried to text you, he wouldn’t get a response. same thing with calling. at first, he just assumed you were really busy and didn’t have time. and he respected that, but after a while, your mind tends to wander to the ‘what ifs’. it hurt him a lot.

“tae didn’t tell me a lot, but he mentioned that it felt like you had just forgotten about him. that you just moved on.”

“i never forgot about him.” jimin argued. how could he? tae was one of the best things to ever happen to him. if it wasn’t for that asshat of a boy, he wouldn’t be doing what he loved to do. “i just- i don’t know. i was busy.”

“when you move to a new place, you’re focused on settling in. making new friends, finding a place to stay, acquiring a job; things like that. so i can understand how you can get caught up in that. but you can’t forget about your family. you can’t forget about him. you can’t forget about who encouraged you to try out. you’re all he has.”

_you’re all he has._

 

~~~~~~~

taehyung took a shaky breath. yelling at jimin wasn’t something he wanted to do. not now, at least.

closing his eyes, he madsaged his temples, focusing on fixing himself prior to him getting out to face jungkook and kihyun again.

stepping out of the bathroom, he was met with two pained expressions on his friends’ faces.

“everything okay, man?” jungkook asked.

tae nodded, and claimed his spot on his booth again. “yeah, just got into an fight.”

“i’m assuming that was jimin, right?”

“yeah. but it’s fine.”

kihyun glanced at the digital clock, hanging above his work station. “sorry to hear about that. i gotta open up shop aagin, sorry. you two have a good day, okay?”

he turns to tae, who already was resting his head on the table, suddenly drained. “here, if you ever need someone, that’s my number. come around as much as you wish, i work nearly everyday.” the numbers were scribbled onto a post it note that he had handy.

hesitating slightly, he ripped the sticky note off the table, and folded it up before shoving it into his pocket.

tae then stood abruptly. “i gotta run. you two have fun, okay? text me if you need anything.” he spoke, plastering a small smile on his face.

the two exchanged looks with each other, but eventually returned a grin. “take care of yourself.” jungkook croaked, his voice cracking.

chuckling softly, tae waved bye to his new friends, and escaped the now awkward café atmosphere.

*******

 

ring. ring. ring.

wishing he would pick up, tae stared down at his phone screen, waiting for his friend to wake up.

“ungh- hello?” the deep voice rang through tae’s speakers, bringing a smile to the brunette’s face.

“yoooongi hyunngggg!” tae sang. “hiii.”

the older groaned. “taehyung, it’s midnight. what do you want?”

“can you meet me at our place?”

“our place as in your house or our place as in the bar?”

“our place as in the moon,” tae teased. part of him felt bad for waking the man up, but this was urgent. he was lonely and he didn’t want to hang out with jimin right now. yoongi was the first one he thought of calling. “of course the bar! i don’t want to go home right now.”

“no, tae, i don’t want to.” yoongi grumbled. “go home.”

“hyung, please?”

“no.”

“hyyyuuuuuuungggg!”

“no means no.”

“min yoongi! please!”

there was a pause on the other line. then a long sigh. “fine, fine.”

“great! i’m already here. move your butt or i’ll carry your ass out of your house.”

all he received in response to his loud voice was a grunt.

after he hung up with yoongi, he perched himself on a stool at the old bar, ordering a water and some food until his buddy arrived.

thirty minutes later, the door opened, sending the cold air from outside drifting into the warm bar. a man dressed in black emerged from the freezing outdoors, shivering. his white cap concealed his bright colored hair, which was sticking out from the back.

recovering from his almost “frostbite”, he hopped onto the seat next to taehyung. “i swear if you called me for something stupid i’m going to punch you. i almost died out there.” he growled, glaring at tae.

“hi hyung, i missed you.”

although he was grumpy, he gave taehyung a small hug. “how long has it been?”

“a few months. i cut down on my drinking.” taehyung admitted, calling over the attention of the bartender. the bartender swiftly jogged to hear their order.

“two of the usual please.” yoongi declared.

the bartender smiled at his frequent. “you got it, yoongi.”

once he begins to work on their drinks, yoongi turned to taehyung. “so? why ami here?”

“jimin came back a few weeks ago.”

yoongi’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “what? why?”

“he was really sick. his friend dropped him off unexpectedly at the apartment.” while he spoke, his eyes were glued to the water glass in front of him, his fingers playing around with it.

“no one notified you?”

tae nodded.

“what the hell?”

“i took care of him. he’s okay now but he doesn’t know anything.” tae wanted to disappear. yoongi was who he ranted to, about everything. though, he hadn’t called him up for a while.

yoongi bit his lip. “you need to say something.”

he shook his head. “i don’t want him to feel bad. i really don’t want that.”

“he doesn’t even know he messed up, does he?”

tae said nothing. instead, he stirred around his water with his finger, avoiding making eye contact with the older.

“c’mon, man. how in the world are you gonna do that? how are you going to pretend that nothing happened to you when he left? how are you hiding this from him?” yoongi stopped talking for a moment to calm himself down. he sighed. “tae you can’t keep doing that. you can’t keep making yourself suffer just trying to make someone happy.”

“i know.” tae whispered.

the silence between the two was interrupted by the bartender, who finally brought them their drinks.

tae forgot what exactly this drink was, but it was good. he took a long sip, feeling the burn of the alcohol running down his throat. it felt nice, having something like this after months of being away from it.

although he swore it off, he couldn’t resist it now. being in this room with yoongi, his drinking buddy, surrounded by other men cheering and singing drunk; this was what he craved.

“what are you going to do now?”

taehyung laughed. “i don’t know. what else can i do? he might leave before i can say something.” He sipped again at his drink. _I remember now, this has rum._

“if you don’t say anything, this will just get worse for you.”

“i’m tough, y’know? i can handle it.”

the platinum haired boy chugged half of his drink down, and wiped his mouth off with his sleeve. “no you’re not.”

“what do you mean? of course i am.”

“no you’re not. look at yourself, tae. you’re a mess. have you been eating? have you been taking your medication? have you even been taking care of yourself?”

ignoring his friend, he went through two more drinks before he decided to answer. luckily, yoongi’s patient. “i’m fine.”

yoongi narrowed his eyes, seeing right through tae’s lie. “come with me.” he said, prying taehyung’s hand off his drink, and wrapping his hand around his wrist.

by now, tae could hardly stand on his own, but his mind was still somewhat there. yoongi’s observant, and the last few times they drank together, he noticed this.

he pushed the door open to the bathroom, and lead the stumbling tae into the handicap stall. locking it behind the two, he sat taehyung on the floor. “have you eaten, kim taehyung?”

        he nodded glumly. “i did, before you got here. but other than that, no.”

“why not?!”

“it doesn’t taste good.”

“bullshit.”

“it’s complicated.” tae said, staring at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with the older.

“don’t do this to me, tae.” yoongi said in an annoyed tone. “have you done anything else to yourself?”

deep down he knew that yoongi was only concerned for his health. no one ever was, so how was this going to be easy for him? to finally declare that he was slowly just getting weaker and weaker? that he didn’t want to do this anymore? his reality was that his health was deteriorating fast, and he just let it.

he felt like he was drowning in his own thoughts of not being worth anyone’s time. that he was worth nothing to the people he loved. he didn’t deserve anything, then, not even the right to eat properly. working full time and overtime allowed him to focus on other things, allowed the demons to slow for a few hours. to keep them at bay while he sells what he loves: books.

taehyung has always needed to dig inside of himself to find the courage to ask for help. that’s easier said than done.

yoongi knelt down beside the half-drunk man, and took his hand. “tae. just be honest with me, please. have you done anything else?”

be honest with yourself, tae said. you’re not okay, you need to tell him. he’s only trying to help. “i-“ the younger couldn’t find his words. tears were rolling down his cheeks, and really what he wanted to do at this point was run. to just crawl back in bed and stay there for days in isolation. “i know you’re trying to help but i don’t need it. i’m doing okay, i haven’t done anything to myself. now can we go back outside? i hate this.”

yoongi’s frown he wore throughout the whole interrogation faded, and was replaced with a small worried grin. “okay, sure. i’m sorry. let’s get some more drinks.”

once tae was assisted back onto his feet by the older, he hugged him. the tears weren’t stopping now, hell no. when you release them, the flood gates open.

although shocked by the hug, yoongi wrapped his arms around his crying friend, and rubbed his back softly in little circles.

“i’m really sorry to do this to you, but you have to understand, this is the only way i can get things out. i hope you forgive me.” yoongi whispered.

“it’s okay.”

after taehyung was dried out of his tears, they went back to their seats at the old bar.

 

~~~~~

 

yoongi always despised this part. here he was, with tae thrown over his shoulder, trying to get into his locked apartment.

kicking away the welcome mat they have up front, it revealed that the spare key was gone. the one he usually used to get tae back inside his home.

“shit.”

he lifted tae off of his shoulder and placed him down beside the door.

“think, yoongi, think,” he said quietly, running his hands through his hair.

wait, didn’t he say that jimin was home? in that case...

yoongi took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

“coming!” he heard someone yell, which then was followed by a crashing noise. “shit, i’m okay! still coming!”

then the door opened, revealing jimin in his pajamas.

“who are you?” jimin says, frowning.

“not important, tae didn’t leave the fucking spare outside so,” he said, bending over to bring tae up into his arms.

tae giggled quietly. “yay!”

jimin looked shocked to see tae in yoongi’s arms.

“anyway, jimin-ssi, can i come in? he needs to sleep.”

jimin didn’t say anything, he just nodded and followed yoongi as he navigated through their apartment.

“can you open his door for me please?” yoongi asked as he stood in front of the white wooden door.

jimin quickly opened it, and together they walked inside.

“tae, we’re in your room. i’m gonna put you down, okay?” yoongi whispered to the hammered boy in his arms.

taehyung was really close to passing out, so he heard no objections from him.

he carefully set him down onto his bed.

“hold on,” he slurred. “i need to take off my shirt it gets too hot.”

yoongi pressed his hands down on tae’s sides, preventing the drunk boy from ripping it off. “not yet, don’t do it yet.” yoongi insisted.

“who are you?” jimin said again.

“i’m a friend of his. unlike you.” he hissed.

“i-“ the drunk’s roommate stayed quiet, not able to say anything back to the bitter older.

he didn’t care though. even if it was his first time meeting the boy who absolutely broke tae, he wasn’t going to be nice about it. he needed to be aware that he fucked up.

“tae, i’m leaving now. you get some sleep.” yoongi said calmly, bringing the covers over him.

“no, wait, yoongles!” tae laughed. “no, come here.”

yoongi rolled his eyes. “what does your needy ass need now?”

“don’t talk to him li-“

“i want a kiss.”

“no, i’m not doing that. i’m straight.” yoongi replied.

“no homo?”

“not a chance, buddy. now get some sleep. jimin-ssi and i are leaving.” yoongi dragged jimin out of the room, closing the door behind the two.

once it was closed, jimin yanked his hand off of him. “get off of me. who the hell are you?!”

“min yoongi at your service.” he said with a little bow. “aka tae’s drinking buddy.”

“drinking...” the younger trailed off, probably realizing what he meant by that. “you’re the one that takes him drinking?”

“no, he usually asks me to come. tonight, he asked me because he was upset about something. i don’t say no to beer.” he stated.

“okay. well... he told you about me, and what i did, so i’m assuming you know a lot.”

“yes i do. are you aware of what you’ve done to him?”

“what i’ve done to him? if you’re about to say what namjoon said, save it. i know i fucked up.”

yoongi raised an eyebrow. “and what did he say exactly?”

“that when i left i left him worrying for a year and he broke down.”

“that wasn’t all. do you know the reason why it hurt him so much?”

“no.”

“it’s because he loved you. you were his crush.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also there was some formatting issues that i really couldn’t fix  
> i’m sorry  
> this might be a little repetitive but  
> yeah i hope you liked it
> 
> edit: i’m gonna try to finish this soon, i think there’s a few chapters left to this.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so late  
> but i rewrote this chapter like ten times  
> idk something about it wasn’t right  
> it’s a heck of a lot  
> but i’m going to start on the taekook now i pr o m i s e  
> i just needed to resolve this first  
> i like writing the gushy stuff so  
> it’ll go great
> 
> Song of the day: A Piece Of Work- Villain

“what?” jimin couldn’t believe his ears. “what do you mean?”

“what do you mean ‘what do i mean’? the man was gay for you, he wanted you.”

jimin turned away from the older. why was this all unrolling on the same day? right after namjoon filled him in on how tae did with jimin’s disappearance, now he’s being told that kim taehyung, his roommate, was in love with him. “that can’t be true.”

yoongi crossed his arms. “well believe it, kid. he had the hots for you and you just left him in the dark. can you imagine how he truly felt now? i wanted him to tell you, but he’s too soft and doesn’t want to hurt you. i however, am not afraid of putting it as it is.”

he backed up to the armchair in the loft, and fell into it. “i can’t imagine... i mean... he never...”

“i figured you didn’t realize. he’s hard to read.” the older informed him. “oh, and just out of curiosity, did he ever tell you about kano?”

jimin furrowed his brows. “who?”

“aish, this boy doesn’t tell you anything.” yoongi said, shaking his head in disappointment. “that’s for another time.”

“oh, a-alright then.” the black haired man felt overwhelmed.

yoongi pursed his lips. the two awkwardly stared at their feet, not knowing what else to say. “anyway, while you soak that information in, i’m gonna head out. but i need to check on him first, he’s a slippery fucker when he’s drunk.” he laughed nervously, and walked away from jimin heading towards taehyung’s room.

what was jimin going to do?

 

~~~~~~~

 

yoongi needed to get out of there. he said what he needed, and maybe just a bit too much. personally he’s not worried about that, he’s more worried about how mad tae will be at him following this.

sometimes yoongi wished he was lying about the brunette being a handful when he’s drunk, but he never was.

sure enough, when yoongi peaked his head into tae’s room, tae was sprawled out onto the floor, nearly completely naked and entangled with his bed sheets. it seemed like he was gone, snoring away deep in slumber.

“good god, taehyung.” yoongi chuckled, approaching the boy quietly.

finally he got a good look at taehyung.

he scanned his arms for any concerning wounds, but there was nothing. only scars and a few birthmarks. “it seems he wasn’t lying. okay, we’re getting somewhere with you buddy.” he whispered, smiling. his main priority was making sure he was okay. throughout the years he’s known him, he’s seen how much tae has gone through. long story short, he doesn’t want him to suffer like that again.

then, he noticed how much weight he’s lost. the last time he dealt with tae, he couldn’t fit his fingers around his wrist. currently, he could do it easily. his ribs were easy to spot now; they were more defined.

“jesus christ.” yoongi sighed. without struggling, he rolled the passed out yoongi in his arms again, putting him on his bed. he threw the covers on him, and without another word, he left.

 

~~~~~~~

 

“noooo.” jimin groaned, talking to his alarm clock. secretly he hoped that it would shut up, but of course, alarm clocks are inanimate objects. he was on such a comfortable position, snuggled under his sheets, curled up in a ball clutching his pillow.

he chucked a pillow in the general direction of where the obnoxious beeping was coming from, and groaned again. fed up with the blaring, he rolled himself off his bed, and crawled slowly towards the clock. someone once told him to put it on the other side of the room, because it guarantees that you’ll wake up. at this moment he wished to kick that person’s ass.

once it was turned off, jimin rubbed his eyes and took a moment to stretch. then, he pushed himself up onto his feet, faltering slightly. usually tae’s up by now, watching tv in the loft, but he couldn’t hear anything, which was strange. maybe all that alcohol really did something to him.

grabbing his phone and slipping it into his pocket, he stepped out of his room, and knocked on tae’s door across the hall. “taehyung? are you okay?”

jimin knew very well that the man was mad at him, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want to talk to him. after hearing what tae was mad at him for though, he doesn’t blame him.

“taetae?” he called again, this time opening his door. turns out, he wasn’t in his room. it seemed like he was no where to be found.

suddenly, he heard someone grunt from the couch, as if he were trying to respond.

“taehyung are you on the couch?”

taehyung scratched his head, and waved at his roommate. “mmmm. couldn’t sleep.”

looking around, jimin noticed that the place was near spotless. the only mess he could spot was taehyung himself draped over the top of the couch, with bags under his eyes. “how much did you drink?”

taehyung shrugged. “don’t know.”

“more importantly how much do you remember?”

he didn’t reply, he just manuevered himself from vertical to horizontal on the couch, releasing a big sigh. “not much.”

great, another two word response.“i- uh-“ jimin’s voice faltered, so he cleared his throat. “we need to talk.”

taehyung motioned for jimin to sit down across from him, which was when jimin noticed he moved some furniture around.

the shorter boy made his way slowly to the chair, climbing into it in a very uneasy manner.

it was a long while before any of the two broke the unnerving silence.

“i’m sorry.” jimin blurted.

taehyung drew a confused expression. “for what?”

“leaving you in the dark.”

“oh.” tae responded. “okay.”

a stillness grew in the room once again.

“that’s it? that’s all you’re going to say?”

“what? what do you expect?”

“i don’t know! something more than ‘oh, okay’!”

tae frowned. “i don’t know what else to say. you know how i felt now, they told you everything.”

“i want to hear from you. why didn’t you tell me?”

tae shrugged again. “i don’t know. i just thought that it wasn’t important.”

“to tell me that i hurt you? that i was the reason you broke down? that i was the reason you never bothered to make any more friends while i was away? that i was the reason you never ate anymore? that’s not important?! come on, taehyung!”

“stop yelling.” taehyung snapped.

“sorry.”

taehyung sucked in a breath, and stared at the ceiling, avoiding all eye contact with the fellow in front of him. “i honestly didn’t think you would care. i’ve been hurt so many times. when i address it, no one seems to care and sometimes i’m hurt even more because of that. that’s how it’s always been with me. i never said anything either because even though i’ve been hurt, i don’t want to hurt you by saying anything. keeping it to myself is a better solution; no one gets hurt this way.”

“that’s not how you should think about a situation like this. don’t worry about hurting me, i’m not as soft as you think i may be. this hurts me more than it would if you had just told me weeks ago because you kept it from me for so long. you acted like you were fine, when in reality you’re slowly killing yourself.”

“i-i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to hurt you this way. i was only doing what i thought was right. i wanted you to be happy going to the city and doing what you loved. after you left, nothing else mattered much.”

“so you’re saying you worried more about me and my state rather than yourself for a year?”

tae nodded.

“and why would you do that?”

“because i loved you... and i cared for you, so much. my mind was focused on you and your well being. when i didn’t get responses, my mind acted freely, and began coming up with horrible things that could’ve happened to you. and i blamed myself for it, for letting you go there, for asking you to try out, for even mentioning it in the first place.”

the older was speechless. _he cares about me more than himself. why? he’s a good guy, who has a heart bigger than his head. why would someone hurt him this much so he begins to think this way? who would be so cruel to do that to someone who is so selfless and sweet?_

“and yeah. i just kept getting worse and worse overtime. and when you came back, i was really happy to see that you were okay. but i was angry. angry that you came back and acted like we had just talked the day before. like everything was the same. but it wasn’t. you don’t know how many times i cried until i threw up just thinking about where you could be. the worry engulfed me. it seemed to me like you never noticed that you had a friend like me here, waiting to speak with you. like you forgot about me for a year and remembered me when it was convenient, and needed someone to take care of you.

“‘am i just not worth anyone’s time then? if people just leave me and come back ahen they need me?’ i asked myself. ‘am i just someone who doesn’t deserve anything? am i just an old toy who was used for years of happiness and then is just abandoned for someone new?’ my thoughts were everywhere.

“and i know this is partially my fault that this got blown out of proportion, but... i do think you needed to know.” taehyung remained laying down, but now he was fiddling with his fingers, eager for a response. for the black haired boy, this whole situation was foreign to him. especially with his private roommate, who never really told him much of anything.

“i didn’t know. i- wish there was more that i could say other than that, but i can’t. i didn’t know you were feeling that way, i-i wasn’t aware you were getting bad again. i never meant to hurt you. things just got busy there, and establishing myself there became my priority…”

“i understand that, and i knew you were busy. i respected that, and i let you be for the first few months there. however, after not hearing from you for so long… i don’t know. i wanted to hear from you, to see how my best friend was doing.”

“i can’t say i was busy 24/7, and that i had time to talk to you, but i just kept getting sidetracked.” jimin admitted, receiving a heavy glare from his younger.

“look, can’t you just outright say you forgot?”

“what? i didn’t forget-”

“jimin, we both know that’s the case, just say it.”

“i didn't forget.” he insisted. “i swear i didn’t.”

“the fact that you swore means that you’re lying. do your friends over there really mean more than your family?”

jimin shook his head. “of course not, but they made me happy, happier than i’ve been in a while. i was doing something i loved, and my parents weren’t always supportive of me dancing. i just… i didn’t want to talk to them because i was scared. scared that they might judge me for pursuing something they clearly hated.”

“well okay, that’s understandable, but you could at least check in with them so they knew you were okay.”

“true.”

“and what about me? i supported you throughout all of this. were you scared to talk to me, too?” tae questioned.

“a little, yeah.”

“why?”

“i dunno. you could’ve changed your mind throughout the time i was gone. you could’ve thought dancing was stupid and not something i should be doing.”

tae then did the unexpected. he grinned. “sometimes i think you forget what i’m doing as a profession. i work at a bookstore. dancing is a higher paying job than that will ever be. plus, i’ve seen the look in your eyes when you’re dancing. you look so damn happy, i could never tell you to stop doing it.”

“oh.”

tae suddenly stood, coming up to jimin, and asking for his hand. jimin took it hesitantly, and tae pulled him out of his seat. “i understand how difficult it was for you too, hyung. i’m sorry. just promise me next time that you’ll contact me okay?”

“i promise. but can you not try to end this conversation so soon? i’m not done yet.” jimin pleaded, locking eyes with the tired taehyung.

taehyung hesitated to answer. “i mean, yeah, okay. i thought we were done.”

“if you want it to be done, then fine. but just let me say something before you leave to who knows where. okay?”

“okay.”

“first of all, i think you deserve the world. you’re my best friend in this whole world, and i care for you more than you think. you aren’t someone that i can forget about, not easily anyway. i appreciate you so much for all the support you’ve given me, even when no one else would. you’ve been there for me since day one of college, and i can’t really express how much that means to me. i’m sorry for everything, everything you suffered with while i was gone. i didn’t mean to bring those days back to you, and i am truly sorry about that. i just want you to know that i’m staying here until i can make this up to you. you don’t deserve to be hurt, i am so sorry.”

taehyung’s head hung low, his hair masking his eyes from jimin’s view. a sniffle emerged from the larger boy, and it finally hit jimin that he was crying. sobbing even. he’d never seen him cry before.

jimin wrapped his arms around the boy, and hugged him tightly. “forgive me.”

the two stood there for what seemed like forever, stuck embracing each other. the older comforted the younger, letting him cry all the tears he had, hoping that after all he caused, the younger would finally be okay.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

the brunette and his best friend were snuggled up on the couch, watching a harry potter marathon that was running on the same channel it normally is.

tae reached for his phone, which he allowed to ring for several minutes before deciding to pick up. “hello?”

“hey taehyung!”

jungkook’s upbeat voice brought a small smile to the exhausted boy’s face. “hey man, what’s up?”

“nothing much, i just wanted to ask you a question about something. You able to talk?”

jimin scrunched up his nose, as to ask who it was without saying anything, but taehyung waved it off. though he wondered if jimin ever saw them talking that night at the club. don’t think about that now, the boy told himself, excusing himself from the area and retreating into his room. “yeah, i’m free.”

“sweet. well, i wanted to invite you to a movie night. we’re watching whatever we can find or bring. does jimin want to come?”

tae brought his phone up to his chest, covering the speaker so he could yell. “jimin, are you free tonight?”

“hoseok is pulling me in for some practice of a new piece, so i won’t be!” he screamed back, equally as loud as taehyung.

“okay!” he cleared his throat before responding to the younger’s question. “he has to dance tonight, so he’s not able to go.”

“that’s perfectly fine. more snacks for us!” jungkook laughed. the boy could imagine the large, bright smile placed on his face. “anyway, kihyun will be over soon to cook along with a friend of his. does that sound okay?”

“sure.”

“alright, come over whenever. you remember my address, right?”

taehyung snorted. “i can’t even remember my own address.”

he giggled again. “okay, i’ll text you it. see you soon.”

“bye.”

following the call, taehyung sauntered into the loft, and took a seat on jimin’s legs.

“excuse me, sir. you’re sitting on me.”

tae glared at him, annoyed. “if only you didn’t take up the entire couch.”

jimin whined, but he didn’t kick off his roommate. tae presumed he was just too lazy to knock him onto the floor like he used to. “who were you talking to?”

“a friend of mine. i was at the cafe with them yesterday.”

jimin perked up. “a friend i don’t know of?”

“yeah. i met them recently.”

“is that so? maybe i should meet this friend.”

“maybe you’ll be able to meet them once i get introduced to junghwan.”

the older shot up. “wait, h-how do you know-”

“don’t think i’m oblivious to things.” tae retorted. “besides, hoseok told me.”

the black haired boy furrowed his eyebrows. “now i have a good reason to whoop his ass.”

“It looks like you really like the guy.”

jimin’s expression lightened, and his eyes wandered to lock with tae’s. feeling embarrassed, he peeled away from the eye contact, watching the muted tv in front of him. “i-i do. he’s really sweet. i didn’t think i could fall for a guy. but… it happened.”

“maybe i rubbed off on you.” tae snickered.

his words were followed by a playful punch to the shoulder. jimin chuckled. “maybe you did.”

tae’s small smile faded. “i’m happy for you, though.”

“thanks.” he replied sheepishly.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

around 6pm, tae snatched his keys from the kitchen counter, and marched outside into the winter night. jimin had left only minutes before him, racing to the studio hoping that hoseok wouldn’t punish him for being late.

taking a moment to twist the key in the lock behind him, he stomped down the apartment complex’s steps, furiously engaged into his phone.

namjoon challenged him to cup pong. no matter where he was, he’d always stop to play him back. it’s funny; tae sucked at the virtual thing, but he was a master at the real beer pong.

as soon as the two boys finished their round, a disgruntled tae marched to his car, and climbed into the seat.

while punching in the directions, tae’s mind was on how jungkook’s home might look on the inside. if he’s willing to put those hideous lights on his balcony, then he can’t imagine what he’d have in his apartment.

just thinking about it brought a goofy smile to his face. _i question that kid so much._

he couldn’t wait to get there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed it  
> i’ll fix any typos that may come up later
> 
> edit: honorifics aren't something i'm really educated about, so if they're off i'm extremely sorry.  
> i'm working on improving the detail in these just how the first few chapters were, so these next ones should be a lot better.  
> and i'll be honest, i've lost interest in BTS and writing this story entirely but adding monsta x into the mix should help me out a bit with motivation. i will finish this story if it's the last thing i do. i promise.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ll be honest  
> these lst two chapters won’t be that great  
> this one’s okay, but not up to par with what i want  
> but i also have to finish this because  
> i haven’t had motivation to finish this one  
> i’ve gotten a lot of other ideas that are keeping me away from finishing this one.  
> so this chapter and the next will be the last ones, formally.   
> however, there was so much i wanted to add, that i’ll add an extra chapter or two about things that i didn’t get the chance to talk about in here.  
> i hope you like this chapter, i really hope you guys like it.
> 
> song of the day: No Air- THE BOYZ
> 
> (P.S MERRY CHRYSLER)  
> (p.p.s this chapter is about christmas but like omfg i forgot the time frame this takes place in and it’s christmas time again but idk man time passes so maybe 5 months passed n its christmas again? i dunno)

while tae drove, the streets were quiet. it had snowed earlier in the morning, which wasn’t originally forecasted. everyone wasprobably at home snuggling up next to a fireplace or their heaters. honestly, he wasn’t going to blame them. two minutes outside of his own apartment and he felt like he had frostbite on his hands.

30 minutes later, tae pulled up to jungkook’s apartment complex. before, he didn’t notice all the decorations set up in his complex, and he had to admit i twas pretty nice. no one near him decorated, and he didn’t usually either, unless he felt like it. even then, though, it was usually just a strand of lights around his window frame. these people were ten times more elaborate when it came to their christmas spirit and their wreaths. one person even had a blow up strapped onto their balcony.

quickly, tae ran from his car and into the concrete hallway that lead to first floor apartments, hoping that the tunnel would save him from the howling wind. cursing under his breath, he braced himself to climb up the uncovered stairs, secretly wishing he’d brought something other than just a hoodie.

hopping up the last set of stairs carefully, tae brought out his phone from his pocket and dialed jungkook’s number.

“taehy-”

“I’MHEREOPENTHEDOOR.”

jungkook didn’t even hesitate, opening the door precisely as taehyung reached it. seeing a shivering taehyung, jungkook yanked him inside, and slammed the door shut behind him.

“why didn’t you bundle up? your hands are like ice.” he asked, gripping tae’s hands tight, his fingers warming his cold ones.

tae shrugged. “i’m stupid.”

the younger let go for a moment to rush into the other room, grabbing a blanket and returning to wrap it around the older. “here, that’ll warm you up. that’s the warmest blanket i own. well, second one. kihyun’s using the other one and wouldn’t let me have it.”

“my ass is cold, man!” kihyun yelled from the other room.

tae smiled. “it’s okay.” glancing around the place, he noticed how cozy it was. there was a candle lit on his kitchen counter, emitting a faint peppermint smell. candy canes were strewn about the apartment, both real and paper, hung up on red string like a banner. a mini christmas tree was lit in the corner of the room, which was covered with ornaments and topped with a star. “this place is so cute.”

jungkook raised an eyebrow, a small smile sprouting on his face. “you really think so?”

taehyung nodded vigorously. “i wish i had the motivation to decorate like this at home.”

“well, thanks.” spotting a little blush creeping on his friend’s face, he grinned.

“he has a thing for interior design. kookie watches a lot of those home makeover shows or whatever.” kihyun screams again.

jungkook huffed, and turned his gaze to taehyung. “come on, let’s go over there before we get a noise complaint.”

after tae took off his sneakers, they strode into the other room, where kihyun and his friend were sat on a leather couch. one was focused on a game that was occuring on the TV with a controller in hand, while kihyun watched mindlessly, his eyes drifting towards tae once he entered.

“taehyung!” kihyun cheered, coming up to the boy and pulling him into a hug. “i missed you.”

“you saw me yesterday, hyung.” taehyung said.

“yeah, and?” kihyun crosses his arms. “what’s your point?”

the brunette shrugged.

just then, kihyun turned to his friend and swatted his arm. “changkyun! you’re being rude.”

the man jumped, his eyes locking with tae’s. a tint of red rose to his cheeks. “oh, i uh... sorry.”

“that’s changkyun, he’s a moron.” kihyun explained, shooting daggers at the already embarassed boy.

“it’s n-nice to finally meet you.” he stammered. “kihyun and jungkook have talked about you a lot since i got here.”

“i hope they weren’t talking bad about me,” tae groaned.

“we would never do that, hyung.” jungkook assured him.

in response, taehyung hummed and smiled at his new stranger friend, who after greeting him went back to his couch corner, and curled up underneath a blanket. it wasn’t long before kihyun joined him.

jungkook had set up everything already; the coffee table had several bowls laid on top of it. they were filled with popcorn, chocolate candies, chips, and there was a cooler on the opposite side of the room with water and small cans of soda.

tae felt like he was in heaven.

“so, what are we gonna watch?” tae asked, the sound of a disc case opening perking his interest.

“oh, christmas movies. y’know, the ones that are so stupid that you have to watch them every year.” jungkook replied, grinning. “this one’s my favorite.”

“as long as they aren’t hallmark movies, i’m good.” changkyun snorted.

“who the hell puts you through that torture?” kihyun asked, sitting up from his cozy position on changkyun’s chest.

“who else do you think?”

kihyun growled. “that bastard’s gonna hear from me the next time you go over to his house.”

“are they that bad?”

“they’re basically the corniest films ever made. they all have the same plot line and take place either in a really badly named fake kingdom or during christmas.”

“well, i love them.” jungkook confidently stated, making the two friends gasp.

“how could you?!” changkyun screamed, holding up his hands as if he were going to karate chop someone.

“i should start questioning if i want to come hang out anymore or not.” kihyun said, wide eyed and audibly disappointed.

tae frowned. “you guys are unbelievable. i used to watch them all the time.”

kihyun overdramatically gasped again, forming a cross with his two index fingers and showing it to them. “eVIL GET AWAY FROM US!”

“overdramatic much?” whenever taehyung was invited over to jimin’s home for the holidays, he’d sit down and watch them with his mom, since no one else wanted to. eventually this created a bond between the two, and that’s why she thinks of him as her own son. “they’re not horrible movies. sure, they have their moments but overall they’re just romance movies that always have a happy ending. sometimes you need that.”

“exactly.” jungkook mumbled through a mouth full of chips. “maybe we can watch them! it’s 2v2, and this is my house so it’ll happen.”

“i better be asleep then.” changkyun retorted.

 

~~~~~

 

two movies into the hulu movie marathon, kihyun and changkyun had disappeared from the room in order to cook a meal for everyone.

tae insisted that they just ordered something instead, but the youngest assured him that he was a pretty decent cook and could make them something good.

while kihyun and changkyun’s bickering echoed through the loft, the two other boys sat next to each other, not uttering a word.

tae wondered if he could slither away and lock himself in the bathroom. these awkward moments were why he didn’t socialize much anymore.

“hyung?” jungkook croaked, his voice suddenly cracked.

“mmm?” hummed tae lazily.

“are you okay?”

narrowing his eyes, he slowly answered.

“yeaahh... why?”

“well... you look pretty drained.”

the older broke into a loud yawn. “what makes you say that?”

he giggled. “for one, that.” for a moment, the sun’s light flashed through the room through his smile. “two, you just seem a little more out of it today. is anything bothering you?”

the brunette shrugged. “i’m okay. i had a rough night.”

jungkook blinked, before glimpsing down at his lap, twidling his fingers. “is there anything i can do to make you feel better?”

“not that i can think of. by the next movie though, i may pass out. last night’s acts are finally hitting me.” that wasn’t a lie, his legs and back were sore from whatever hoe-y shit he pulled with yoongi. he’s been told that he’s pretty flamboyant when he’s drunk and... dear god, who knows what that might mean.

“that’s fine, you can crash here. kihyun and changkyun will probably do the same. we never make it theough these without falling asleep.”

“crash here? but you bare-“

jungkook pressed his pointer finger on taehyung’s lip carefully. “don’t finish that sentence. you’ll stay in the guest room.” he decided. whipping out his phone, he tapped on his screen several times before flashing the screen towards tae. “they’re forecasting icy roads, so you have no choice.”

“i guess, but that’s still not-“

jungkook’s familiar glare shut tae up. “hyung. it’s okay. i trust you. as long as i trust you, you can stay here whenever. besides, you’re way much better than those two morons who are probably burning my kitchen down.”

as if on cue, something sounded like it shattered in the kitchen.

the apartment owner sighed.

“changkyun-“

“that was your fault!”

“no it wasn’t! you’re being stupid.”

“you told me to put it down.”

jungkook groaned. “there goes another plate.”

tae raised an eyebrow. “another?”

“come on.” jungkook stood, lending a hand to the older.

he grabbed it hesitantly, though he was brought up to his feet in one solid tug.

both of them headed to the kitchen, where kihyun and changkyun seemed like they were about to maul each other.

“can someone tell changkyun that he’s incapable of working safely in a kitchen?” kihyun growled.

“i was only doing as i was told!” changkyun fired back. “i slipped up, okay?”

“enough, both of you.” jungkook interrupted, causing the two knuckleheads to freeze in their places.

“but-“

“it’s okay, honestly. i’ve always hated this plate.” he admitted, bending down to snatch a shard of the old plate from the ground. “who even eats on a plate with a chicken on it?” the youngest cracked a smile as he revealed the carved in rooster to taehyung.

in response, taehyung snorted. the only thing he could imagine right now was eating chicken on the chicken plate. _I’m a horrible human being._

“i got it at a white elephant party.”

changkyun crossed his arms, and stuck out his tongue at his elder friend as jungkook began sweeping the shattered plate into a pile with his feet.

“hyung, can you get me the broom and dustpan? it’s in that closet right there.” he pointed to the pantry beside him.

his hands immediately ran into the bulky broom once the door squeaked open, and he handed it to him.

the other two boys were silent, the only sound emerging from the kitchen was the crackling of the food in a sautee pan.

“there.” a neat pile of debris sat in the dustpan’s base, and the poor rooster was left eyeing tae. jungkook rustled into the cabinets below his sink to bring out a garbage bag.

taehyung swiftly dumped all the remainsof the plate into the garbage.

“all is good now? you guys aren’t going to claw each other’s faces off over a broken donated plate?” taehyung snorted.

kihyun didn’t respond, he was focused on transferring beef into the pan with the sauteed vegetables.

 

~~~~~~

 

later, the boys were back to watching movies, only this time the platebreakers weren’t watching- they were snoring lightly on the couch behind tae and jungkook.

“how long did you get?”

jungkook unlocked his phone and stopped his timer. “seven minutes.”

“jesus, seven minutes is all it takes for them to flop over and nap?”

jungkook held in his laughter. “well, we just ate.”

“i know, but normally jimin falls asleep after fifteen. seven is a new record.”

“it’s definitely a new record for them. we haven’t even started the movie.”

the duo snickered quietly at their own jokes, and continued on with the movie watching without them.

halfway through, a slow partof the movie triggered jungkook to begin talking.

“taehyung?”

“yes?” for a moment, the older pondered about what his friend was going to say. was it going to be a deep question that he couldn’t answer? a simple question? a rhetorical question?

“your foot’s bleeding.”

 _okay_ , _definitely_ _wasn’t_ _expecting_ _that_.

tae’s eyes went wide. “what? since when?” he scooped up his foot and peered at the bottom, and sure enough there was blood dripping from a small wound.

by the time he looked up to jungkook, he had quickly ran into the hallway, appeared again with a first aid kit.

“i- wait-“ taehyung stammered as he unloaded the plastic box of medical supplies in a rushed fashion. “do you have a lot of experience with these? you look like you’re a pro.”

jungkook smirked. deep inside taehyung, a part of his heart melted seeing it. “my brother was a clumsy kid. i was always there to bandage him up.” he ripped a band-aid package open, along with some anti-bacterial wipes and some gauze.

“that’s cute.”

he shook his head, preparing some gloves for his hands. “not really. that’s what siblings do. he’s a little shit anyway. at least now he is.”

“i wouldn’t know that. i don’t have any siblings.” tae grumbled.

“they’re annoying for the most part,” he muttered. “but you can’t help but love them.” there was a slight pause as he figured out how to pop the lid of some rubbing alcohol. “okay, let me see. i’ll be super gentle, i promise.”

“pinky promise?” tae asked cheekily.

he got a small smile in reply, a slim pinky wrapping around his extended one.

“now let me figure out what’s wrong.”

doctor jungkook examined his foot, and found out that a stray shard of glass from the plate had gotten stuck in his heel.

“ouch.”

“it’s not too bad. small piece in a thicker part of your foot’s skin. it sounds worse than it is. that’s usually how it works.” he breathed, working with small tweezers to take the bit out.

tae bit his tongue as he took the piece out, making sure that the tickle of pain hat he felt wouldn’t cause him to whimper like a little kid.

“can you hold this here?” jungkook tapped on a patch of gauze he had set on top of the little wound. once tae had a finger on it, he unwrapped a band-aid, and began gently applying it on top of the gauze. “you can let go.”

he rubbed the sticky tape down, and just like that, it was done.

“thanks, doctor jungkook. how can i ever repay you?” taehyung gushed, admiring his new and extremely fabulous taped up foot with a stupid look on his face.

“shut up.” jungkook chuckled, snapping the first aid kit shut and shoving it away from us on the carpet.

all their attention was brought back to the movie, which was at the climax.

“have you ever thought of working with kids?” taehyung suddenly asked, the question erupting from the deep part of his thoughts.

“yeah. why?”

“just seeing how you worked with me... i’d think you’d be good at it or something.”

jungkook scoffed. “first of all, you’re a grown ass man. you’re completely different from a child. and two, i’m not the one who should be working with kids. i’m not nearly as friendly as they require you to be. or patient. if anyone should work with kids, it’s you.”

taehyung frowned. “me? but wait, we weren’t talking about me-“

“you’re better than i am in that field.”

“no i’m not.”

“have you ever seen yourself do one of those performances at the bookstore? have you ever seen the smile on those kid’s faces when you speak about the cool worlds inside the books? have you ever seen the wonder that grows bigger in their eyes, their curiosity flowing through them as they ask more and more questions? have you ever seen them skipping down the rows of bookshelves filled to the brim with excitement, unable to wait until they can get their hands on one of those books? you’re a natural at it. it’s so nice to see that someone is making kids grow up with a sense of imagination that most of this world doesn’t have. nowadays this world is being ruined by technology and social media, which has made children rely more on tablets and social media than just a simple book. a book can do more of a kid than a video on youtube about fortnite.”

it took a moment for taehyung to come up with a response. “i- uh... i’m not-“ he then sighed.

“i love books. they were my only friends growing up. they transported me away from school and bullies and anything that got me down and placed me in a world filled with magic and adventure. it was so fun, because not only did these stories bring so much joy to my life, but they created such a big impact on me and who i am as a person, that i don’t want them to disappear. more and more bookstores are closing due to the sheer fact that kids don’t want anything to do with books. i just want to try and change that, y’know? to get kids excited for books that excited me when i was younger. i just want to help the kids realize that ‘hey! books are amazing, and fun to read!’ i just want kids to have an outlet that can comfort them if they ever need it. so some kid out there has an escape to get away from reality.”

there was a long silence between the two. the credits were already rolling at this point, and soft music played through the speakers. taehyung sat quietly, picking at the dead skin around his fingernails, trying to not focus on the awkward bubble around them.

suddenly, jungkook did something taehyung never thought he’d do.

he kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be the last but it’ll be a crappy kind of epilogue thing
> 
> i am so sorry that this and the next chapter are bad
> 
> please forgive me i wanted more for this story but i can’t do it


	13. Epilogue...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it  
> the crappy chapter
> 
> i hope you enjoy this epilogue esce thing  
> i’m sorry it’s not great
> 
> song of the chapter: Take You Home- Baekhyun

it had been a few weeks since that one movie night at jungkook’s. taehyung began working every day again, now that jimin was away on a dancing gig. he was alone again in the confines of his shared apartment. only he didn’t feel as empty as he used to.

jimin and taehyung had made up almost completely now. the only thing they had to make up now was their minds about getting a dog or a cat, but that will remain something they argue about for months.

recently, he had started eating meals again. of course, he didn’t want to push himself, and he had many days where he couldn’t be bothered to eat. but he was getting better. he finally had something motivating him to focus on himself. or someone.

yoongi dropped by every other day or so to catch up with the brunette. although he acted very heartless towards people, he cared deeply for his drinking buddy. he was careful with him, and persuaded him to get himself together and focus on his health.

and he was going to do that. even if it killed him, he was finally determined to do something. after a year of moping and being a sorry excuse for a human being, he wanted to change.

every thursday jungkook would visit taehyung at the bookstore, watching him as he told the stories of many fairytales to as many children as he could. the younger began to film him, and how the kids reacted to this innovative storytelling technique.

nothing was set in stone for the two of them, as they hadn’t discussed what they were yet. despite their kiss, taehyung wasn’t sure if he wanted a relationship yet. his past relationship with a man had left him scarred; he didn’t want to relive that.

kihyun had suddenly disappeared. no one knew where he had gone off to, but changkyun said he had to move back home with his mom. taehyung felt like something was off about that, but he didn’t question it.

 

~~~

 

one night, jungkook was resting his head in taehyung’s lap as they watched a house renovation show.

jungkook was cringing at the sight of a outsated powder room. “oh, i could do so much better than that. that wallpaper is horrendous.”

“looks like i just wiped on that and they stuck it to the wall.” taehyung joked.

jungkook slapped taehyung’s chest, which was followed with loud laughter. “you’re gross, you know that?”

“that’s my job. to be as nasty as i possibly can.” the cameraman on the show then tilted the camera to his left, where the old moldy kitchen lie in wait. “i’ll never be as nasty as that kitchen.”

“you’re beautiful when it comes to looks, though.” jungkook beamed, his smile growing wider by the second.

“only looks? oh c’mon, give me some credit here. i’m dealing with you; you’re not an easy boy to deal with.”

“be quiet.” jungkook hissed playfully. “i’m ten times better than you when it comes to attitude. now hush your pie hole, i want to hear the price.” he said, pressing the rewind button on the remote frustratedly.

“thing one and thing two, are you here?” jimin’s loud voice echoed throughout the apartment. his head peeped in through the front door.

jungkook missed hearing the price again. he screeched in reply, and rewinded it for the fourth time. “SHUT UP YOU OLD MAN I AM TRYING TO LISTEN TO THIS SHITTY HOUSE’S PRICE!”

“okay, you’re here.” jimin told himself, before closing the front door and locking it behind him.

“that wasn’t very nice.” taehyung teased.

“yeah and i’m not very nice. now shut your mouth before i shut it for you.” jungkook growled, raising the volume up.

once the price had been said, jungkook relaxed again, and taehyung ran his hands through his hair softly.

“are you happy now baby boo?”

“wha-“ jungkook glared at him. “don’t ever call me that again or i’m bringing out my 8 year old jiu jitsu master out again.”

taehyung blinked. “okay.”

they commented on the house a few more minutes, comig up with ways they would fix it up personally before taehyung tore his attention away from the show, placing it all on jungkook.

“hey, jungkook?”

“aye, sir?”

“i have a serious question.”

jungkook froze momentarily before pausing the tv, and sitting up on the couch. “okay then, what’s up? everything okay?”

“yeah, but um, i was just wondering...”

“mhmmmm...?”

“where do you like to eat?”

“eat? like restaurant eat?”

taehyung raised an eyebrow. as if there’s any other meaning to that question...“of course.”

“um...” jungkook reached up to a strand of his own hair and began subconsciously twirling it within his fingers. “i don’t know, why?”

“i wanted to know. for future reference.”

the younger hummed, thinking deeply about the simple question. “well, i’m not very picky. so if you’re thinking of taking me anywhere, it’s okay if it’s left as a surprise.”

taehyung snickered in reply.

“i swear, if you’re thinking of taking me to mcdonald’s, i’m dumping you.”

“but we aren’t even dating!”

“and? just because we aren’t doesn’t mean i lower my date standards you ass.”

taehyung chuckled.

he was a lucky man. he had friends who adored him, a friend that was more than a friend, and a lifethat was finally feeling complete. though his life was difficult, he was able to pull through it. but he couldn’t have done it without friends.

he couldn’t have done it without jungkook.

 

_to think that this all started..._

_at the bookstore on the corner._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry it’s short too, but you kinda get the idea i was going for
> 
> REMEMBER!! this is not the last chapter!! it is just the last chapter of this story!!
> 
> however i will be adding BONUS chapters to add details i was going to add but never got a chance to!!
> 
> so stick around for that if you’re interested. 
> 
> i love you guys, this whole story has a huge amount of hits, i can’t believe it.
> 
> i’ll talk to you again soon guys. love you so much.
> 
> -k


	14. Bonus Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so like i said this is a bonus chapter  
> not really a chapter chapter
> 
> they’re more like my notes i guess??  
> idk i hope this is interesting enough
> 
> the last song of the day :’) : The Eye- Infinite

Kano~>

in chapter 11, yoongi mentions a name while he argues with jimin. “kano”.  
kano was an older boy that tae dated while in his first year of college. around this time, tae was still trying to figure out who he liked; what his sexuality was. it was ultimately a difficult and frustrating time.  
one day he ran into kano while fleeing from a crowded club. tae apologized far too many times to the man and continued on his way out of the club. days later, kano greeted the college student as they crossed paths in the college.  
kano at first glance wasn’t someone who tae would normally socialize with; he was a frat who constantly partied and was covered to the brim with dark tattoos. even though tae would frequent these parties, it wasn’t because he enjoyed it. he just wanted to be there to protect jimin. however, his large smile radiated kindness, and tae felt attracted towards that the more that they hung out.  
it was only after a month that tae fell head over heels for him.   
the japanese boy figured that out not long after tae’s feelings developed, and went ahead and asked taehyung on a date.  
the first few dates were good; bowling, a movie, a nice restaurant. the usual things.  
then, kano decided to change.  
he began taking drugs.  
soon, he had become a full on addict. and he had tried to lure tae into it. every time he declined, he would try to force him into it anyway.  
the whole relationship was spiralling out of control. not only was kano becoming more aggressive, but he was emotionally and physically abusing taehyung.  
this was around the time tae started becoming a frequent at yoongi’s bar. when tae drank, he spilled everything about what he was going through.  
kano’s personality changed. he went from kind to irritable. from happy to angry. from loving to hating everything. all in the matter of two months.  
with how bad it got, yoongi often questioned why taehyung didn’t just end it with him. tae couldn’t bare to do that to him. kano was struggling, all he wanted was to help him.  
the next night, tae visited kano at his place. kano’s buddies were inside with him, where they were higher than the moon. the whole place smelled horrible, but tae didn’t want to investigate the stench coming from one of the rooms.  
that night, kano hadn’t taken anything. he was doing fine.  
until he got his hands on taehyung.  
taehyung called yoongi a few hours later, crying and yelling for yoongi to come get him. yoongi talked to him as much as he could while rushing there, but his money was running low and he was using an old payphone in a sketchy part of town.  
he arrived to see an exhausted taehyung, scrunched up on the bench of a bus stop, refusing to talk anymore about it.  
nothing else was said about that one night. the elder noticed brusing around his wrists and neck, but he was aware of tae’s fragile state, and didn’t ask.  
yoongi still isn’t sure 100% about what happened that night, but taehyung changed.

Kihyun~>

so this is the author talkin here:  
my idea with kihyun was a bit different. not only did he star in the fanfic, but he had more of a purpose than just a supporting character. of course, my crappy writing didn’t really display it that much. however, hopefully writing it here will help you guys understand what i was looking to incorporate into this story, but i just couldn’t do.  
also, this “i just couldn’t do” stuff isn’t because i physically couldn’t do it- it was that i didn’t have motivation to add it.  
this was my original intent for my kihyun character: he’s a celestial being that takes the form of a simple guy and works to bind two people together that the universe has destined to be a couple. so long story short: he was the one behind all the encounters of jungkook and taehyung; he planned everything. he manipulated the world around them so that they could fufill their destinies and become a couple who would eventually get married and somehow change the world.  
i dunno, this idea was very abstract when i added him in. but this was my original idea. instead, in the story he’s just a supporting character who is a barista and loves to be an ass towards everyone.

Jimin~>

this was always going to be a taekook from the start, and it was a fanfic dedicated to someone who was and still is important to me but halfway through i realized their ultimate ship wasn’t taekook, but it was vmin. i promised to add elements of vmin into it and i feel like i focused too much on it. there’s a lot of jimin but not a lot of jungkook. and i’m really sorry for that. i’m just glad i was able to finish it without scrapping the story entirely (i have a habit of doing that, my notes are filled with stories i scribbled ideas down for but never even started).

A message~>

it’s interesting because i come up with a message in this story that i don’t even follow most of the time. i read a lot when i was growing up, and i didn’t own a proper phone until my freshman year of high school. books were something i absolutely adored. now, there not something i really enjoy anymore. don’t get me wrong, they’re great. however, i found myself growing picky about the books i read, and i’ve gotten hooked with youtube and other things. i don’t own many books anymore that i haven’t read, because they’re older and i haven’t bothered to buy anymore.  
but i think kids shouldn’t be exposed to technology so early into their childhood.   
i know bookstores aren’t shutting down yet because there are still many avid bookreaders out in the world, but i feel like in the future we’ll just have less people buying books and more people relying solely on technology.   
i personally don’t want that. introduce your kids to books! read a boOk yOu poSerS iTs bEttEr thaN fOrtNite

Changkyun~>

I really don’t know what to say about Changkyun. I just needed a clumsy extra who could be a friend of mystical kihyun.  
he’s a dork.

I’m sorry, though~>

when i got to about the 11th chapter, i lost all motivation to continue this. not only has my interest in bts plummeted (not because i dislike them, other groups have just caught my attention *cough* monsta x *cough*) but my motivation to write disappeared entirely. that along with a mixture of stress from midterms and things outside of school, it just became a hassle. i tried so hard to keep this going. believe me, i tried. but i couldn’t do it anymore and i’m so freaking sorry.  
(i’m aware i wrote the last two chapters only a few days ago after midterms and such but it took me a while to tell myself to sit down and write for three hours until 2 am)  
...  
yeah yeah i can hear some of you saying “don’t apologize” i understand that you guys don’t necessarily care if i update constantly or not but  
IMSORRYMYBABIESIFIEVERGETAROUNDTOWRITINGANOTHERSTORYITWILLBELEGITANDREALLYLONGANDWILLHAVEALLMYORIGINALIDEASINIT  
I P I N K Y P R O M I S E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that’s it! the last time i’ll be updating this! i hope you enjoyed this story, no matter how bad it was 🤧
> 
> i love you all so much  
> this story took off and has gotten more attention than i thought it would  
> i appreciate it so much
> 
> thank you. i’ll be posting another story soon! see you then  
> -k


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